Six people, including a Ukiah Daily Journal reporter, were arrested Thursday in a multiple residence marijuana bust that netted close to 80 plants and 22 pounds of processed marijuana, according to the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force.
Nathan Wickleffe, Shannon Wickleffe, Terry Wickleffe, Kathy Wickleffe, Zack Sampsel and an unnamed sixth man, were all arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation of marijuana for sale, maintaining a place for drug sales and conspiracy.
Officers searched the Tedford Avenue home rented by Shannon Wickleffe, daughter of Terry and Kathy Wickleffe, and her fiance, Sampsel Thursday afternoon and found 50 growing marijuana plants, said MMCTF Commander Bob Nishiyama.
Sampsel is a reporter for The Ukiah Daily Journal covering primarily features and city government.
"Journalists, whether at a small local newspaper like ours or at the New York Times, are held to a very high ethical standard - and not just about the stories they write. Any time that breaks down is very disappointing for those of us trying to do the best job we can," said Daily Journal Editor K.C. Meadows. "Given the information we have, I'd say this is another example of the extreme problem that the marijuana culture in this county presents to local employers."
Officers were led to the Tedford Avenue home through their investigation into Shannon Wickleffe's brother, Nathan Wickleffe, who they suspected of growing and selling marijuana, Nishiyama said.
Officers got search warrants for three residences connected to Nathan Wickleffe, one on North State Street and two on Observatory Avenue.
Officers searched all three residences and found evidence of indoor marijuana grows, including one apartment in the 200 block of Observatory that had been turned into a grow room. Officers also seized 24 marijuana plants and at least six pounds of marijuana.
Nathan Wickleffe was paying for the electricity on all three residences at a cost of around $2,000 per month at each home, Nishiyama said.
Further investigation led officers to a home on Fir Terrace owned by Nathan Wickleffe's parents, Terry and Kathy Wickleffe. Nishiyama said officers found 16 pounds of packaged marijuana in the house, as well as evidence of an extensive indoor marijuana grow.
"It is my belief that they were probably growing there for a couple of years," he said.
Nishiyama said Terry and Kathy Wickleffe were growing roughly five pounds of marijuana every 60 days.
"They keep one to two pounds and sell the other three," Nishiyama said.
He said the two were selling the marijuana for around $3,000 per pound.
Investigation there led officers to the Tedford Avenue address.
Shannon Wickleffe told officers that she and Sampsel were growing about two-and-a-half pounds of marijuana every two months, keeping around half-a-pound and selling the rest, Nishiyama said.
"They would sell it, either to the cannabis club in Talmage or in Lake County," he said.
All of the suspects claimed to have a medical recommendation for the marijuana they smoked, Nishiyama said; only Sampsel provided officers with a doctor's recommendation.
Nishiyama said it does not appear there was any "ringleader" managing all of the gardens but said everyone in the family appeared to know what was going on.
"It was a family thing," he said. "Everyone seemed to know who was doing what."
All of the suspects were arrested on the above listed charges and booked into the Mendocino County Jail.
Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacific.net.
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