Edward Ameral and his wife
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By Kelly Stone
Investigative Reporter
Kansas City, Kansas – Edward Ameral was a medicinal marijuana grower back in the fall of 2012, growing marijuana for himself and 6 other individuals in Jackson County, Oregon.
Ameral claims that in August of 2012, Bryan Phelps came to his home in Jackson County, Oregon claiming he was a major gold purchaser and convinced Ameral to fly an airplane for Phelps to attend “gold buying shows” around the country.
Ameral alleges that Phelps located an airplane and convinced him to fly it and to take part in the purchase, with promises that he would soon own the plane outright, using his earnings from flying Phelps to shows. Phelps then got Ameral involved in the purchase of the airplane.
According to Ameral, “it soon became obvious that Phelps had ulterior motives” and was not a gold purchaser. Phelps “sent the plane to Colorado for repairs” and Ameral claims, “in early October of 2012, Phelps showed up at my house and demanded that I give him marijuana as payment or he would tell the police that I and my family were growing marijuana illegally.”
In late October of 2012, Ameral asserts that Ramon David Torres arrived at his home with Phelps. He continues, “they demanded that I sell them all of my marijuana. Bryan went and purchased a .45 caliber hand gun and he and Torres then threatened me with the gun.”
Edward Ameral should have gone to the police but instead placed himself in a very awkward position at best by not doing so. Phelps and Torres soon allegedly arranged a trip to Kansas City with intentions of selling Ameral’s substantial amounts of marijuana there.
Ameral emphatically states that Phelps and Torres had arranged for him to sell a load of furniture he had made in Kansas and that he had no knowledge that they had taken some of the boxed furniture out of their containers and replaced them with many pounds of cured marijuana. Ameral, Bryan Phelps, Ramon Torres and others went to Lawrence, Kansas and would soon find the Lawrence Police Department at their “furniture truck,” wanting to conduct a search. Obviously, someone involved was providing information to authorities. No one was arrested at this time and Ameral returned to Medford, Oregon.
On December 19, 2012 Edward Ameral, Bryan Phelps, Chastity Phelps (Bryan’s wife), and Ramon David Torres were indicted by a Grand Jury in Kansas City for allegedly conspiring to “manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute” marijuana.
What we know at this point is that all co-defendants of Ameral have accepted plea-bargains and they are expected to testify against Ameral. Ameral has never wavered in his version of events, however, to substantiate Ameral’s claims the US~Observer needs conclusive evidence of his claims.
We have found that Ameral had a valid Oregon Medical Marijuana Card and was growing medicinal marijuana for himself and others, and we know that both Phelps and Torres are “bad individuals,” but these facts don’t really provide a valid defense.
I am asking that anyone with information on this case contact me at 541-474-7885 or by email to ed@usobserver.com. Someone has spoken to Phelps or one of Ameral’s co-defendants and the US~Observer needs to get to the truth in this case. If evidence doesn’t surface in the very near future, Edward Ameral will end up in prison. Be responsible and call if you have info.