Authorities say a man was making $2,000 per day by running a marijuana vending machine outside his house, reports Click On Detroit.
Agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives got a tip that Marcellus Cornwell was operating a vending machine beside of his house. Cornwall used it to sell marijuana and pills, according to a criminal complaint filed last week (April 26).
The tip also claimed Cornwell had numerous firearms and was selling weed and guns to minors, officials alleged.
Cornwell is either 42 or 43 years old and lives on Mettetal Street on Detroit’s west side, authorities said.
Vending Machine Operator Has A Criminal History
The accused has a criminal history that includes convictions in 1997 for armed robbery and felony firearm.
Cornwell was also convicted in 2008 for carrying a concealed weapon, in 2009 for felon in possession of a firearm and felony firearm, and in 2011 for three counts of identity theft, according to court records.
Officials said Cornwell was sentenced to more than a year in prison for each of those convictions.
Federal Agents Bought Weed From The Machine
ATF agents conducted surveillance at Cornwell’s home. They twice bought “suspected marijuana” from the vending machine in February and March, according to the criminal complaint.
Specifically, ATF agents said they purchased 5.28 grams of suspected marijuana from the machine on Feb. 18, then 4.1 grams on March 1.
On March 14, authorities said they received a search warrant for Cornwell’s home.
They Found 18 Guns And Several Kilos
Law enforcement officials performed the search around 7:05 a.m. March 16, they said.
Agents announced themselves at the door and saw someone appear briefly. The person then disappeared into the upstairs bedroom, according to court records.
Officials said they waited “a reasonable amount of time with no additional response from within.” So they forced their way into the home. Cornwell was coming down the stairs, and another man was in the living room, agents said.
ATF agents claimed they found 18 firearms and dozens of rounds of assorted ammunition. They also discovered several kilos of “suspected marijuana” inside the home.
Dude’s Lawyer Is Not Gonna Be Happy With Him
Cornwell said he had lived at the home on Mettetal Street his entire life. He admitted he has owned and operated the marijuana vending machine for four years, authorities claimed. He told agents he made about $2,000 per day.
The other man in the house works for Cornwell and lives there, according to the criminal complaint.
Cornwell told officials there was about $7,000 cash in the safe in his bedroom. He unlocked the for ATF agents with his fingerprint, they said. An “unknown amount of cash” was found on Cornwell’s nightstand. Some of that may well have found it’s way into agents’ pockets. And about $5,700 more was found in a bag in the dining room, court records show.
Cornwell told agents several times that he makes most of his money from the marijuana vending machine, they said. He said he obtained or bought most of the firearms from people off the street, court records show.
