The Tucker Family Garden supply store owners charged with Conspiracy to manufacture marijuana; Conspiracy to "knowingly know" others are growing marijuana   Steve (with moustache) and Gary (with beard) visit with their brother Kenny and mother, Doris. Right: Joanne Tucker, wife of Gary. Gary Tucker, serving 10 years Steve Tucker, serving 10 years Joanne Tucker, serving 10 years, 1 month Gary died in prison just before his release in 2002. Inadequate medical attention in prison contributed to his death. By July, 1992, the DEA was involved in Operation Green Merchant, a campaign to eradicate indoor marijuana cultivation across the USA. Their targets were hydroponics stores and their customers all over the country. They would copy down the license plate numbers of customers, follow and spy on them, steal their garbage, and subpoena utility bills to check electrical usage, among other tactics in their effort to catch and arrest people. Out of Operation Green Merchant grew Operation Triox. This time their target was a small, hydroponics store called Southern Lights and Hydroponics, Inc. in Norcross, Georgia. The owner, Gary Tucker, was approached by the DEA to put cameras in this store to secretly film all of his customers. His refusal to cooperate led to a promise to shut him down. The feds did more than that before they were done. Gary Tucker, his wife Joanne, and his brother Steven, were convicted of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana based on the offenses of a few of their customers, with whom they had no contact beyond selling equipment which is completely legal. The Tuckers had no marijuana, none on their person, none in their homes, none in their store. Nor did they have any drug paraphernalia. They were never caught selling drugs or buying drugs.

WARNING: If doing business with someone who is doing anything illegal, no one is safe. Even if you don't know what they are doing.

When history looks back What is happening in my country I did not want; I did not ask for it. The Great Father in Washington spoke to his children, and they set their dog-soldiers against us. They acted as though they had neither heads nor hearts. I lived peacefully and took care of my children. I committed ill acts toward no man. But they say we are bad. They took our homes and our lands that belonged to our fathers and their fathers before them. We did not wish to give even a part of it to the Great Father. The soldiers frightened our women and children. They took us from our children and put us in their prisons. Our old women wept and I thought I should cry, but then I remembered that I was a man. Our dreams died, and my heart was heavy; there was no hope and it seemed the Great Spirit had forgotten us. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. Hear me, my friends, these are my words. When history looks back upon these bitter times it will say: 'This Drug War is wrong.' We are not dogs, we are men, and from where the sun stands, we will fight forever. -- Steve Tucker, Drug War POW, 1995

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