Five-year U.P. Case Wraps Up

After five years of legal wrangling, a drug kingpin pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Marquette. It closes the door on one of the largest marijuana smuggling cases in Upper Peninsula history. 47-year-old Pedro Kobasic of Chicago – who has several aliases – entered federal court yesterday under tight security from U.S. Marshals. Federal prosecutors said Kobasic was the ringleader of a marijuana distribution operation. He was among six people, one of whom was his own cousin, arrested by UPSET agents. The smuggling operation involved the delivery of at least 400 pounds of marijuana from Chicago to the Upper Peninsula between 2005 and October 2009. Kobasic told Judge Timothy Greeley that he supplied the operation with marijuana on an “off–and–on” basis. A courier either drove the pot to the U.P., or it was sent by FedEx. The marijuana was then distributed around Delta County and other areas. Under a plea agreement, Kobasic pleaded guilty. Several others were involved in this case as well, including the kingpin’s cousin, 31-year-old Nathan Kobasic of Bark River, who was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison in 2011 after admitting he helped distribute 220 pounds of marijuana. Pedro Kobasic is scheduled to be sentenced in March. He could be sentenced to as many as 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million or both.