POLICE REPORT MARIJUANA CROP IN BASEMENT, HIDDEN ACCESS LIFT

BERKELEY -- About 15 pounds of packaged marijuana, 290 marijuana plants,
assault rifles and pistols were seized from an attorney's home Friday by
Oakland narcotics officers.

The attorney, Michael Moore, 56, who specializes in criminal defense, was
stopped and arrested as he was driving away in his Mercedes from his
split-level hillside home in the 1100 block of Glen Avenue in Berkeley.

Most of the packaged marijuana was in the garage, police said. The
marijuana plants were found in a basement under the kitchen, accessible by
what police described as a hidden lift. Police also found cocaine and
hashish in the home.

The packaged marijuana is worth at least $130,000 on the street and police
believe Moore was selling it, Sgt. Bruce Brock said.

Scales were found in the home and a safe yielded $4,000 in cash, police said.

Police found documents at the house indicating the marijuana was for
medicinal purposes. But officers said what was found "far surpassed any
legitimate amount" for just medicinal use.

Additionally, police said they found 14 weapons, including assault rifles
and assault pistols, a "street sweeper" shotgun able to fire multiple
rounds, two silencers for one of the assault pistols, and a bullet-proof vest.

Narcotics Officer Jim Beere said he thinks the guns were mainly for
protection "from other dealers, robbers and maybe some of his clients."

Moore was booked at the Oakland City Jail on suspicion of nine felony drug
and weapons charges. His bail was set at $290,000.

The 8 a.m. raid ended a two-month Oakland police investigation headed by
Beere, who developed information Moore allegedly had illegal weapons and a
"marijuana grow" at his home.

Beere said 15 pounds of the marijuana was in half-pound packages.

The plants were in different stages of growth, some as high as 5 feet, and
were in a variety of pots. The basement contained track lighting on timers
and a special ventilation system, Beere said. The plants were watered by
hand with a hose.

Beere said one of the ways Moore allegedly gained access to the basement
was by a hidden elevator from the kitchen. He said carpet covered a portion
of the linoleum floor, underneath which was an electronically operated
elevator that could hold two people.

Beere said the guns were found hidden in closets and file cabinets
throughout the house. A half-ounce of powder cocaine and 12 grams of
suspected hashish were also found in various parts of the house.

Police said Moore recently moved his practice from an office on Eighth
Street, a block away from Oakland police headquarters, to his house.

According to State Bar Association records, he has been a practicing
attorney since May 1973 and has no current disciplinary problems. He has
represented a wide variety of clients over the years, including the Hell's
Angels.

One of his current clients is Paul Sonsken, a man Oakland police described
as a "survivalist." Sonsken was arrested Sept. 27 after police found a
cache of weapons, ammunition and drugs hidden behind secret panels and
floor coverings throughout his home in the 2300 block of San Pablo Avenue.

Moore is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court.