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Drug dealing son busted, parents punished
Filed under: Just For Moms, Just For Dads, Alcohol & Drugs
24-year-old Thomas Roos was arrested four times during a four month period in 2005, usually passed out at the wheel of a car full of drugs and cash. Needless to say, the young drug dealer's blatant disregard for the law made the police in Snohomish County Washington just a little mad.
In three of the incidents, the car that Roos was arrested in belonged to his parents, Alan and Stephne Roos. The cops felt that the Roos' should take away the keys to their cars to prevent their son from using their vehicles. When they didn't, the officers seized the vehicles under drug-forfeiture laws.
At the time of these arrests, Thomas Roos was living with his parents in Bothell, Washington. His parents claim their son was leading a "secret life" and that they were unaware of his illegal activities. They say he routinely deleted voice-mail messages and even intercepted mail to prevent them from finding out about his drug-dealing arrests. When they did find out, his father claims he was "mad as hell" and bought steering wheel locks for the family cars.
Somehow, that didn't stop Thomas Roos and he was arrested twice more over a two month period, both times driving a car that belonged to his parents. That's when the cops decided to seize the vehicles. Thomas was convicted on five drug-possession charges and served six months in jail. His parents lost both of their cars.
Drug-forfeiture laws exempt "innocent owners" from having their property seized in cases like this. But when the parents went back to court to get their cars back, the appeals court ruled that people who "stick his/her head in the sand" don't qualify as innocent.
Pete Mazzone, the parent's lawyer, says "This is a bad precedent, this decision. The decision implies that parents should always be suspicious of their children, or they may have their property confiscated."
I agree with Mazzone. Maybe the Roos' weren't the most tuned-in parents ever, but I don't see how that makes them responsible for what their adult son was doing outside of their home.
In three of the incidents, the car that Roos was arrested in belonged to his parents, Alan and Stephne Roos. The cops felt that the Roos' should take away the keys to their cars to prevent their son from using their vehicles. When they didn't, the officers seized the vehicles under drug-forfeiture laws.
At the time of these arrests, Thomas Roos was living with his parents in Bothell, Washington. His parents claim their son was leading a "secret life" and that they were unaware of his illegal activities. They say he routinely deleted voice-mail messages and even intercepted mail to prevent them from finding out about his drug-dealing arrests. When they did find out, his father claims he was "mad as hell" and bought steering wheel locks for the family cars.
Somehow, that didn't stop Thomas Roos and he was arrested twice more over a two month period, both times driving a car that belonged to his parents. That's when the cops decided to seize the vehicles. Thomas was convicted on five drug-possession charges and served six months in jail. His parents lost both of their cars.
Drug-forfeiture laws exempt "innocent owners" from having their property seized in cases like this. But when the parents went back to court to get their cars back, the appeals court ruled that people who "stick his/her head in the sand" don't qualify as innocent.
Pete Mazzone, the parent's lawyer, says "This is a bad precedent, this decision. The decision implies that parents should always be suspicious of their children, or they may have their property confiscated."
I agree with Mazzone. Maybe the Roos' weren't the most tuned-in parents ever, but I don't see how that makes them responsible for what their adult son was doing outside of their home.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-24-2007 @ 3:30PM
Jenn said...If it was once, or maybe twice....I could see it. But this is a 24-year-old man, still living with his parents, who had been repeatedly arrested. From the sound of it (the dad admitted he knew, and bought steering wheel locks for the cars), they were aware of what was going on, and did not take the steps they needed to, to keep themselves and their son safe.
I'm not sure, however, that I agree with the cars being sold at auction...I would think impounding them and being able to get them back after paying a fine would be sufficient.
Reply
9-24-2007 @ 4:18PM
SKL said...The parents were well-warned and apparently allowed this illegal behavior to continue on their property. Their knowledge and assistance was so extensive, I see them as accomplices. At some point, it's not OK to just have one family member be the fall guy and let everyone else completely off the hook.
Reply