Pubdate: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 Source: Janesville Gazette (WI) Copyright: 2006 Bliss Communications, Inc Contact: http://www.gazetteextra.com/contactus/lettertoeditor.asp Website: http://www.gazetteextra.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1356 Author: Associated Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture) AUTHORITIES SEIZE LAND OF MAN FACE MARIJUANA CHARGES MILWAUKEE - An undeveloped plot of land owned by a man facing marijuana trafficking charges has been seized by the Internal Revenue Service, which said it was bought with proceeds from drug dealing and used to grow marijuana. Documents filed in U.S. District Court said Jerry L. Hartman, 51, of Waukesha, established Hawkeye Exteriors Inc., and allowed at least two home repairmen to use the business name. In exchange, according to the records, the repairmen gave Hartman the checks they received from customers and he gave them an equal amount in cash suspected of being marijuana dealing proceeds. The seizure of the land in the town of Genesee comes as Hartman faces drug trafficking charges in Waukesha County Circuit Court. Court records said he was arrested in November when investigators seized about 40 pounds of marijuana, $204,000 and three vehicles with the assistance of a self-admitted drug dealer. When narcotics officers visited the Genesee land four days after Hartman's arrest, they found the remains of several marijuana plants still in the ground and holes "where the entire root system had been torn out of the ground," the court documents said. Hartman has remained in the Waukesha County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail on two counts of maintaining a drug trafficking place, two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and delivery of marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman