$60 million pot-plant seizure at Sugarloaf, Mt. St. Helena

Operation by Sonoma, Napa officers nets 34,000 plants in one of largest busts in recent years

By MARY CALLAHAN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 5:51 p.m.

Sonoma County Narcotics Task Force

Narcotics officers discovered two recently occupied campsites, apparently used by pot gardeners, near the marijuana plots in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.

Sonoma County drug agents seized nearly $60 million worth of pot plants from clandestine plots at Kenwood's Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and near Mount St. Helena.

More than 27,000 immature plants were destroyed in a raid Tuesday in the northwest section of Sugarloaf, Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Bertoli said.

An additional 7,000 plants were seized on the northwest side of Mount St. Helena, bringing the total to 34,000 plants.

"Having over 20,000 plants in a single garden, that's a huge grow," Bertoli said.

The plant seizure appeared to be among the largest in recent years.

A year ago, narcotics agents seized 25,000 plants in one week at two locations in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. And in 2006, agents netted 30,000 plants over three days at four gardens around Sonoma County.

Growing pot on public lands, including parks such as Sugarloaf, has become commonplace in California. Of the nearly 3 million plants seized last year by the state's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting task force, about 75 percent were seized on publicly owned lands.

But the size of the raid, on popular parkland close to the Sonoma Valley, was unusual. The park lies only about two miles east of Highway 12, though it stretches back into the hills nearly to Napa County.

The Sugarloaf plants were spotted during aerial surveillance a couple of weeks earlier. At the time, most or all of the plants, then seedlings, appeared to be in makeshift greenhouses, Bertoli said.

They were 18 inches to 2 feet tall when, because of the rough terrain, agents were airlifted into the area Tuesday, Bertoli said. When mature, the plants could produce marijuana buds worth about $1,750 a plant in street sales.

Tuesday's raids were part of a joint operation involving the Sonoma County narcotics task force and the Napa Special Investigation Bureau, said Bertoli, who leads the Sonoma County task force.

Law enforcement agents also found two campsites near the Sugarloaf plants and evidence of several people living in each. It appeared they left hurriedly Tuesday morning, leaving behind lit candles and warm food on the tables, Bertoli said.

The gardeners probably came and went through private property off Los Alamos Road, he said.

Law enforcement personnel also observed large amounts of d-Con rodent poison around the area and found several dead field mice and squirrels, as well as one dead red fox, Bertoli said.

A natural spring had been diverted to irrigate the gardens, he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com.

Groups express "outrage" at phony slate mailers that imply endorsement of No on Measure B

NEWS RELEASE - YES ON B COALITION-- YesOnB@pacific.net
May 29, 2008

Leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties and a top law enforcement official issued an unusual joint statement today denouncing the No on Measure B campaign's use of phony slate mailers that imply that their groups have taken a position opposing the ballot measure on marijuana.

The 3 slate mailers, which masquerade as official endorsements when they are not, were received by Mendocino County voters during the past week. Unless the voter reads tiny print, the mailers appear that they were sent by the official Democratic party, Republican party, and a "COPS" organization of law enforcement.

The joint statement reads as follows:

We are outraged that the No on Measure campaign has purchased space on slate mailers that masquerade as official publications of recognized organizations. These mailers are a deliberate attempt to fool the voters. The voters need to know that these slate mailers are paid political advertising and do not represent the position of any official group.

The "Cops Voter Guide" does not reflect the position of law enforcement. Every law enforcement leader in Mendocino County has endorsed "YES on Measure B."

The "Republican California Voter Guide" does not reflect the position of the local Mendocino County Republican Central Committee which has endorsed "YES on Measure B."

The "Voter Information Guide for Democrats" does not reflect the position of the local Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee which has not taken a position on Measure B, but has sent out an "Official Mendocino County Democratic Voter Guide."

Signed:

Chris Dewey, Police Chief, City of Ukiah
Margie Handley, California Republican Central Committee
Jim Mastin, Chair, Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee

Each of the signers made additional comments.

Police Chief Chris Dewey said: "Every police chief in the county, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, the Highway Patrol Commander, the Ukiah Police Officers Association and the Deputy Sheriffs Association endorse Measure B. I am not aware of anyone working in law enforcement who is opposed."

Republican Margie Handley said: "It is outrageous that anyone would try to imply that the Republican Party is opposed to Measure B. In fact, the Mendocino County Republican Central Committee has endorsed "YES" on Measure B."

Democrat Jim Mastin said: "It's election time and we want every voter to become informed on the issues and then vote their conscience. Local groups send out readily identifiable slate mailers that promote positions supported and endorsed by your neighbors and friends. Unfortunately it's also the season of the phony slate mailer. They are designed to deceive, misinform, remain anonymous and do it all for the highest bidder. We encourage you to listen to your local voices."

The phony Republican slate card endorsing No on B is titled "Attention: Republicans. Election Day Voting Guide" and features large quotes from major Republican figures like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Governor Pete Wilson. It was issued by California Voter Guide, 1954 W. Carson St., Torrance, CA 90501, (301) 787-6573

The phony Democratic slate card endorsing No on B is titled "Voter Information Guide for Democrats" and is issued by Voter Information Guide, 13701 Riverside Dr., #604, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423.

The phony "COPS" slate card endorsing No on B is titled "COPS Voter Guide" and has two images of a police badge. It is issued by COPS Voter Guide, 705 E. Bidwell St. #370, Folsom, CA 95630.

Yes on B Coalition spokeman Ross Liberty said that his group had received many phone calls from confused voters who had been deceived by the paid mailers into thinking that police or the local Republican party or Democratic party were opposed to Measure B.

Liberty commented: "This is just a continuation of the campaign of intentional deception that we have seen from the beginning from the No on B campaign."

"They have lied about Measure B by saying it targets medical patients and won't do anything about the large growers. They misrepresented Sheriff Allman's position in a failed attempt to claim it would be a burden on law enforcement. Their supporters have filed bogus lawsuits and stolen our signs in an effort to prevent the voice of the people from being heard and they have bought space on every phony slate mailer out there. This has all been an effort to deceive and confuse the voters. But we believe the voters won't be fooled. They are fed up with the damage commercial marijuana growing is doing to our County and they know Measure B is the best solution available," said Liberty.

Copies of the phony slate mailers can be faxed to interested media upon request to YesOnB@pacific.net.

Fear & Intimidation puts neighbors in bad situation

You may only use this letter if I am allowed to remain anonymous.

One of the growers in my area is believed to be a part of an organized group of growers. More simply put organized crime. I fear for the safety of myself and my family if our name and location were given out.

Dear Friends,

In the past three days my wife and I have gone on two short hikes. Each time we came back angry, frustrated and upset. In both cases on our walks we discovered on neighboring properties to ours that they were putting in large pot gardens.

These two new growers are an addition to the two commercial grow houses we already have on our road. Personally I don't really care much if someone wants to grow some plants for their own personal use. That's their choice as long as they don't go driving their car or operate some machinery and kill someone else.

I understand the need for some people to smoke marijuana legally for medical reasons. They have a need and a right to grow small quantities of marijuana. These large growers on the other hand have no altruistic reason for growing pot other than just plain greed. It just really bothers us because these people are only doing it for the money. In growing such big gardens they feel they have to protect them.

One of the growers got a really nasty dog. The other has placed no trespassing signs all around and you feel pretty unwelcome walking past their property. Then there is the fact that other people will come in the fall to try and rob the harvest.

Are we going to get shot at or attacked by their dog. Is our home going to be invaded by mistake? Already two of my other neighbors have had people come to their doors at two o'clock in the morning to buy marijuana.

It is really sad that the beautiful place we moved to years ago has come to this. All we can do is pray that the Lord will protect us from such evil greedy people. It is on Him alone that we have to rely on for guidance and understanding in this situation. Pray for our family,

Anonymous for our safety

Read more Cries for help

Support your neighbors
vote YES on Measure B
June 3rd, 2008

Willits man has a bad month

By Linda Williams/TWN Staff Writer
Article Launched: 05/02/2008 12:41:05 PM PDT

A man who complained at the April 23 Willits City Council meeting about the phones cords at the jail being too short likely experienced even more frustration after he was arrested the next day for a pot grow at his residence.

Armed with a warrant on April 24, Mendocino County sheriff's deputies searched the Rose Terrace residence of Jeremy Whitaker, 27, of Willits. Deputies reported a strong smell of marijuana as they approached the house. Inside they discovered an indoor grow with 102 budding plants, ranging from 2 to 3 feet in height. The deputies estimate the plants were only a few weeks from being ready to harvest. Also found during the search were 70 grams of processed marijuana.

Whitaker showed deputies two medical marijuana cards; one had expired in August 2007. Deputies left 25 plants for Whitaker's medical use.

Whitaker was arrested on suspicion of cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale with a penalty enhancement associated with committing a crime while on bail from another felony charge.

Whitaker was previously arrested on April 5 after allegedly riding his motorcycle at speeds up to100 mph through Willits up to Pine Mountain, leading the California Highway Patrol, Willits Police Department and Mendocino County deputies on a high-speed chase.

Sheriff catches man stealing "Yes On B" sign

Yes on B Coalition
NEWS RELEASE - May 1, 2008

Sheriff catches man stealing "Yes On B" sign

The Mendocino County sheriff's office received an eyewitness report the afternoon of April 28, 2008, of a theft of a "Yes on B" yard sign from the 6000 block of North State Street, Ukiah, by two men in a truck. The witness recorded the license plate number.

Later in the day, a sheriff's deputy located a culprit with the stolen sign in his possession, and he confessed to the theft.

Because of the seriousness of the theft and vandalism attacks on its campaign signs, the Yes on B Coalition made a complaint in this case and it was sent April 30 by the sheriff's office to the district attorney in Report #08-1214.

More than 60 "Yes on B" signs have been stolen or vandalized, according to the Yes on B Coalition, which has placed more than 500 campaign signs across the county. Some Yes on B supporters have had their sign stolen three times.

"This is a level of campaign sign vandalism that's probably unprecedented in the history of Mendocino County," said coalition spokesman Ross Liberty. "It's an assault on free speech and the very concept of free elections. If those opposed to Measure B believe they have a message to communicate they should do so by putting up their own signs, not by stealing or tagging ours. Frankly, I believe this underscores a fundamental difference between our two groups."

"The Yes on B Coalition will replace every sign that is stolen," said Liberty. This battle for free speech is just a reflection of the underlying battle for the future of this county--whether we will be dominated by criminal activity or whether we have a future as a place where our quality of life comes first."

Yes on Measure B - vandalized & stolen signs

Yes on Measure B - vandalized sign
Originally uploaded by Yes On B

More than 400 Yes On B signs have been put up county wide

We will replace all those that are stolen or destroyed.

Our sign volunteers are hard at work painting more "Yes On B" signs to keep up with sign requests and to replace the 65 signs that have been stolen or vandalized by unknown persons who don't believe in free elections.

Take a stand against the harmful impacts arising from commercial marijuana growing! Request a Yes On B sign by sending us an email at yesonb@pacific.net

For more information about Measure B, visit our website at www.YesOnBCoalition.org.

Pine Mountain pot raid linked to Asian gangs

By Linda Williams/TWN Staff Writer

Article Launched: 04/23/2008 11:23:07 AM PDT

An April 16 Pine Mountain pot raid allegedly linked to Fresno-based Asian crime organizations led law enforcement to the discovery of 15.5 pounds of processed bud, 856 marijuana plants and the arrests of two men.

Deputies from the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team, Mendocino County sheriff's deputies and agents from the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force served the search warrant for a residence on Chinquapin Drive.

The Chinquapin Drive setup was described by officers as a sophisticated indoor grow in a metal outbuilding and garage on a 12.7-acre parcel. The grow room equipment included lights, carbon-filter ventilation systems, carbon dioxide augmentation and dehumidifiers.

Richard Lieng, 25, of Willits, and Tony Lieng, 34, a Vietnamese national with a Clovis address, were arrested at the residence on suspicion of cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale. The property was purchased by Tony Lieng and Truong Lynn in October 2006.

The search is linked to the previous arrest of a Fresno man in Brooktrails, says Special Agent Robert Nishiyama, of the MMCTF.

Danny Coong Lay, 36, was stopped March 23 with 300 marijuana clones in his car, according to officers. Officers then discovered 321 more marijuana plants in a sophisticated grow inside the Birch Road residence rented by Lay. Lay was then arrested on suspicion of cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale and knowingly renting a facility for the commission of a crime.

The grow operations appear to be linked to Asian organized crime groups operating out of Fresno, says Nishiyama. The groups are apparently moving into Mendocino County from the Bay Area and Stockton areas.

Mendocino County DA says "Measure B will help"

April 19, 2008

At a Measure B forum before the Employers Council of Mendocino County Friday, Mendocino County District Attorney Meredith Lintott (who was in the audience, not part of the forum) said the passage of Measure B "will make my job easier." She said that defense attorneys regularly use Measure G (the 25-plant personal use ordinance that is at the root of all the excesses of the commercial marijuana industry in our county and which Measure B will repeal) as a defense on behalf of large scale marijuana growers. She also said that Measure B will likely help bring more law enforcement funding into the county from grants that we have been unable to tap as long as our laissez faire attitude about commercial growing continued.

The speakers at the forum were Ross Liberty for Yes on B and Laura Hamburg for No on B;. Ms Hamburg, who said she is a personal use gardener, made a couple of No on B's major points that were refuted on the spot by Ms. Lintott and Sheriff Tom Allman, who was also in the audience.
Ms. Hamburg said that among her fears of Measure B's effect is that it would make it too easy for sheriff's deputies to go after the low hanging fruit, the smaller growers like herself (although I don't call the 75 plants Ms. Hamburg claims to be able to grow legally a small grow) the people with more than the 6-plant limit Measure B would allow under the state's regs. Sheriff Allman stood up in the audience and said that simply wasn't going to happen. He said his department does not have that staffing to do more than he has always said he can and will do: go after large grows and go after grows that are causing a health and safety problem (which would include the in-your-face grows popping up in what used to be safe neighborhoods). Although he is maintaining his neutrality on Measure B, he did say it will make his job easier in that he believes a lot of people growing 25 plants now for whatever use, will cut back to six plants voluntarily if the measure passes.

He also said, for the record, that in the past few years (Measure G passed in 2000) a "horrendous number" of outside marijuana growers had flocked to this county. He said that there is "no question" that the marijuana growing in this county had created crime and environmental problems. As he put it, "there is a violence associated with greedy people growing marijuana."

Ms. Hamburg also said that since the county supervisors had already voted to limit the number of plants per parcel to 25, Measure B is now unnecessary. But Ms. Lintott told the audience that she knows defense attorneys are planning to challenge that as an illegal limit - presumably using the same Measure G excuses.

The No on B campaign - ably led by Ms. Hamburg, who is a personable and intelligent speaker - has made a large part of its campaign the claim that Measure B will cripple law enforcement in this county. But now both the DA and the Sheriff say that' not so.

No on B's other big argument is that Measure B will hurt medical marijuana patients. This week a group of 40 local physicians came out in favor of Measure B as protecting medical marijuana patients.

The Yes on B campaign believes that passing Measure B will send an important message to the world that Mendocino County is no longer the place to move to in order to abuse our community and environment for the sake of greed. Sheriff Allman cemented that for me Friday when he told me that he had lunched with Attorney General Jerry Brown on Monday and that Mr. Brown had told him that people throughout California were watching what happens here in Mendocino County on June 3.

Measure B is not anti-pot and it's not about medical marijuana. The vast majority of people supporting Measure B, including myself, believe that people ought to be able to grow and smoke a little pot and that medical marijuana is, in fact, helpful to the truly sick.

But now we feel like dupes for having tried to do something progressive and seeing the hoards arrive to laugh in our faces. We sent the wrong message with Measure G. Now we need to admit it was an experiment that went very wrong and bring some sanity back to our county.

Posted by K.C. at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Burglar sentenced to prison

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
Article Last Updated: 04/13/2008 07:52:05 PM PDT

The Daily Journal

Anthony Michael King, 33, of Ukiah, was sentenced to almost three years in state prison Friday on charges of burglary and marijuana cultivation.

King pleaded guilty to the charges on Feb. 15; he was arrested Jan. 21, after he was found in a home in the 600 block of North State Street asleep on the couch with the resident's 5-year-old child.

Ukiah Police Department officers arrested King, and a subsequent search of his home found 68 marijuana plants, according to police reports.

Mendocino Superior Court Judge Richard Henderson sentenced King to two years and eight months in state prison, citing his five previous felony convictions.

Supports Measure B

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
Article Last Updated: 04/14/2008 08:44:26 AM PDT

To the Editor:

I am in favor of Measure B on the June 3 ballot. We need to bring Mendocino County regulations in line with state law. Our current county limit of 25 plants is way beyond the reality of what a medical marijuana patient needs. This has led to an influx of money-hungry corporate growers coming into our neighborhoods.

My neighborhood is a perfect example. A guy bought two houses on the street behind us. He has been growing large amounts of marijuana (200 plants) on the other side of our back fence. The stench is so intense that one can smell it two blocks away from July to October. During most of the summer and fall we don't even go into our backyard because of the smell.

In October of 2004 a criminal (no doubt attracted by the smell) tried to rip off his crop. He came into my back yard with a gun. He climbed over my back fence and confronted the grower. He then shot the grower in the hand. After the altercation he jumped back over my back fence and made his escape (still carrying the gun) right by our bedroom window.

If we had been in our back yard at the time we would have been in danger of being shot ourselves.

We must limit the amount of marijuana one can grow to the state limits. It must be grown only indoors. If we do that guys with guns won't be attracted by the smell to my back yard.

In our neighborhood we are all living in fear every day, wondering what will happen next.

Larry Puterbaugh
Ukiah

Armed robbery of pot on coast

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff

Article Last Updated: 04/06/2008 11:56:35 AM PDT

The Daily Journal

A man wanted for allegedly stealing a pound of medical marijuana at gunpoint from an Albion home Friday morning led police on a high speed pursuit on Highway 101, where he was caught after his car hit a spike-strip and overturned.

According to reports from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the suspect, Joseph Charles Denson, drove to 27250 Albion Ridge Road at around 11:15 a.m. Friday and allegedly threatened Abel Sommer and Soren Helstrom with a small caliber handgun and stole a pound of Sommers' prescription marijuana, according to sheriff's reports.

Helstrom drove Denson to Sommers' home before the robbery occurred, but does not appear to be a suspect in the robbery, according to sheriff's reports.

Denson fled the home in a gold Nissan Maxima. The Sheriff's Office issued an alert for law enforcement to be on the lookout for Denson and the Maxima and noted that he may have been headed for Vallejo and was likely still armed.

Later Friday, Denson was spotted southbound on Highway 101 by officers of the Cloverdale Police Department. Officers tried to pull over Denson but he fled, leading officers in a pursuit at speeds up to 90 mph.

Denson was stopped after he swerved in an attempt to avoid a spike strip that flattened both of the Maxima's passenger side tires. Denson then lost control of the car, which overturned.

He was pulled from the car and taken by ambulance to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries.

The Sheriff's Office and CPD are planning to file charges of armed robbery and evading arrest against Denson, who was also on California state parole for drug crimes, according to sheriff's reports

Suspect in marijuana robbery caught after highway chase

By Glenda Anderson
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

April 05, 2008 A man suspected of stealing marijuana led police on a chase on Highway 128 near Cloverdale befoe crashing his vehicle while trying to avoid a spike strip, authorities said.

Joseph Charles Denson, 30, of Vallejo, was taken to a Sonoma County hospital for treatment, said Mendocino County Sheriff's Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.

Denson allegedly pulled a small-caliber handgun on Mendocino Coast resident Abel Sommer and a mutual acquaintance, Soren Helstrom, at Sommer's home on Albion Ridge Road.

The suspect had gone to Sommer's home with Helstrom, Smallcomb said.

Denson allegedly took a pound of marijuana Sommer had for medical use, then fled in the gold Nissan Maxima in which he'd arrived with Helstrom.

The vehicle was spotted by Cloverdale police on Highway 128 just after noon, Smallcomb said.

Law enforcement tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver sped up, hitting speeds of up to 90 mph, Smallcomb said.

When a spike strip was placed on the highway in an attempt to flatten the tires and stop the car, the driver swerved, causing the car to overturn, Smallcomb said.

Denson was expected to be booked on suspicion of armed robbery and evading arrest, he said. He already is on parole for narcotics violations, Smallcomb said.

The incident is another example that growing and possessing marijuana, even legitimately, can attract crime, law enforcement officials said.

"It's dangerous to have pot," Smallcomb said.You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@

pressdemocrat.com.

2 arrested in gang assault; searches find indoor grows

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff

Article Last Updated: 04/02/2008 08:41:24 AM PDT

Ukiah Police officers arrested two men Monday in connection with a gang related assault late last month and uncovered two small marijuana gardens.

According to UPD reports, Robert Briseno, 31, and Jesus Martinez, 35, allegedly attacked two men in the parking lot of the Lucky's grocery store on East Perkins Street March 22.

According to police reports, Briseno had seen the victims inside the store earlier and taunted them by referring to them as "scraps" and challenged them to a fight outside.

According to police reports, "scraps" is an insulting term used by Norteño gang members to refer to Sureño gang members.

The two men responded that they were not gang members and Briseno left the store. When the two victims came out, Briseno allegedly attacked them. According to police reports, Martinez saw the fight and joined Briseno in attacking the two men, leaving his 3-year-old child unattended in the parking lot.

After the alleged assault was over, Briseno and Martinez fled the parking lot, according to police reports. Martinez allegedly grabbed the 3-year-old child, flung him into the car and drove off without securing the child or closing the door, according to police reports.

On Monday, officers stopped Martinez in his vehicle in the 600 block of East Perkins Street and arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, participation in a criminal street gang, child endangerment and conspiracy.

Officers served a search warrant on Martinez' home and found evidence linking him to the Norteño street gang as well as an indoor marijuana grow of more than 50 plants, according to police reports.

Martinez's children were turned over to Mendocino Child Protective Services.

A second warrant was served on Briseno's apartment on South Oak Street, where officers found evidence linking him to the Norteño street gang and an indoor marijuana grow totaling more than 80 plants, according to police reports.

Both marijuana grows were seized by members of the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force.

While the search warrant was being served, officers found Briseno at work in the 700 block of South State Street and arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and participation in a criminal street gang.

Both men were booked into the Mendocino County Jail on the above listed charges.

Marijuana raids on Cresta and Riverside

By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 03/12/2008 08:34:19 AM PDT

Two people, one of them currently under federal indictment, were arrested on drug charges Thursday after neighbors on Cresta Drive complained about the smell.

Mendocino County Major Crimes Task Force Commander Bob Nishiyama said officers served a search warrant on the home of Cynthia Nelson at 122 Cresta Drive Thursday and seized 30 mature marijuana plants and 265 smaller "clone" plants.

The 30 mature plants were in one bedroom of the house, while the clones were in a hydroponic setup in another, Nishiyama said. Some of the clone plants were very young, but others had root balls and had been planted in dirt.

"It was a very sophisticated setup," he said.

The Task Force filed for a search warrant on the house because of complaints about the smell of marijuana in the neighborhood, and a PG&E bill that was four times higher than normal.

"The smell, especially at the budding stage, is really strong," Nishiyama said.

The house had belonged to Nelson's mother, who died and left the house to her. Nishiyama said the house was mostly empty except for one room that Nelson rented out.

Based on the evidence from the Cresta Drive home, the Task Force obtained a second search warrant for Nelson's permanent residence on Riverside Drive.

Nishiyama said officers found 30 "mother" plants that he believed Nelson was using to make the clone plants found on Cresta Drive.

Officers also seized 72 grams of hashish, 22.7 grams of psilosybin mushrooms, 700 grams of marijuana and a .45 caliber rifle, Nishiyama said.

Officers also found Rustin Meadows-Paul of Potter Valley at the Riverside Drive home. Paul had been released by federal authorities pending trial on federal drug charges for allegedly growing marijuana in Potter Valley and driving it to Chicago, where it was allegedly sold to organized crime figures.

Nishiyama said Paul allegedly used several different cars to drive the marijuana cross country to sell to organized crime figures, who in turn sold it to street dealers and sometimes allegedly employed dishonest Chicago Police Department officers to steal the drugs back to be sold again.

"Mendocino County marijuana was ending up in Chicago with organized crime," Nishiyama said.

Nelson and Paul are both charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of hashish, possession of psilosybin mushrooms and being armed in commission of a felony. Additionally, Paul was charged with committing a felony while out on bail.

Both Paul and Nelson had medical marijuana recommendations.

Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacific.net.

Pot case search evidence quashed

By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 03/05/2008 08:21:37 AM PST

Laura Hamburg isn't the only marijuana defendant to have the evidence from a search warrant thrown out by a judge. Last month, Mendocino Superior Court Judge David Nelson ordered that evidence from a warrant served on Angie Pinches' Uva Drive home be suppressed.

Sheriff's deputies got a warrant after seeing marijuana plants growing at Pinches' home at 8401 Uva Drive on March 12, 2007.

Pinches is the daughter of 3rd District Supervisor John Pinches.

According to court documents, deputies violated Angie Pinches' privacy by entering her property at 3 a.m. without consent, walking 50 feet down a country driveway.

Nelson noted that there are instances in which officers have a valid reason to venture that far onto a private citizen's property, such as when they are serving an arrest warrant or searching for a witness.

"This case was not a daytime knock-and-talk but a 3 a.m. snoop by officers whose intent by their own candid omission was to get probable cause' for a warrant," Nelson said in his ruling.

Deputies had to walk 50 feet from the main road to the point where they observed the marijuana growing, according to the ruling.

"The officers had to take rather extreme steps to reach the point where they were able to make probable cause," Nelson wrote in his ruling.

According to the ruling, Pinches had a reasonable expectation of privacy on her property because the area sheriff's deputies used to access it was enclosed by a fence, though the gate was open, and had a motion sensor alarm.

"It is clear from the testimony and exhibits that the defendants took numerous steps to protect the shop from observation," Nelson said in his ruling.

Nelson also noted that the mailbox was at the end of a country road, as was the home's electrical meter.

Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacific.net.

7 arrests, 5,000 pot plants in second raid

By BEN BROWN/The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 02/15/2008 09:09:38 AM PST

Seven people were arrested and more than 5,000 marijuana plants seized in Dos Rios Wednesday in an early morning raid by local, state and federal law enforcement officers.

Law enforcement officers served a search warrant on a remote ranch near the Eight Mile Bridge in Dos Rios at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and seized 5,275 plants, ranging from seedlings to full-grown budding plants, as well as 100 pounds of processed marijuana, $20,000 in cash, two handguns and five rifles.

Officers also arrested: Kite Isaac Finds the Feather, 29, and Amanda Lee Wood, 28, both of Dos Rios, on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and child endangerment.

When officers arrived on scene to serve the search warrant, the suspects fled in a Jeep down a dirt track toward the Eel River, taking three children, ages 6, 5 and 2 years old, with them.

After the subjects were arrested, the children were turned over to Child Protective Services as per the drug endangered children protocol.

Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Lt. Rusty Noe said it was not clear whose children the kids were; Wood and Finds the Feather were living together in Dos Rios.

Officers were led to the ranch through investigation into a separate case by the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team and the Drug Enforcement Agency, which is ongoing.

"This was a spin off of that," Noe said.

COMMET, assisted by DEA agents, officers from the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement and
deputies from the Sonoma County Marijuana Eradication Team, served the search warrant.

After the suspects were arrested, officers searched the ranch and found an extensive marijuana growing operation, Noe said.

Two structures on the property were being used to grow marijuana, according to sheriff's reports. One was a barn that had been converted into a grow room; the other was a starter room and processing shed.

The starter room contained 271 grow lights run by a 400-kilowatt generator. Noe said the generator was three or four times the size of a car.

"It was one of the most extensive grows I've ever seen," he said.

Officers also found a second 350-kilowatt generator at the ranch as well as 25 gallons of waste oil and a large plastic tank containing fuel for both generators. Officers called the Mendocino County Department of Public Health to investigate any possible environmental hazard.

When officers were leaving the scene, a Mendocino County sheriff's deputy saw a man walking on Highway 162 one mile from the scene and questioned him.

The man, Romero Juan Agudo, 24, was one of the people who had fled the house. Agudo told deputies that he was one of seven men living on the property who had been working in the marijuana garden, according to sheriff's reports.

On Thursday morning, sheriff's deputies arrested four more men who are alleged to have been part of the operation. One of the suspects, who had left his wallet at the scene, was identified as Antonio Alfonso Agudo, 21; the other men have not been identified.

All five men were arrested on suspicion of marijuana cultivation and were booked into the Mendocino County Jail on no-bail immigration holds. Noe said it is not uncommon to find illegal immigrants working in illegal marijuana gardens.

Wood and Finds the Feather were booked into jail and are being held on $500,000 bonds each.

Others facing marijuana charges

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
Article Last Updated: 02/15/2008 09:09:40 AM PST

The Daily Journal

Two Branscomb residents were arrested on marijuana charges after a search of their house Tuesday revealed 50 pounds of marijuana and more than 700 marijuana plants.

According to reports from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, deputies with the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team, assisted by the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, served a search warrant on 2001 Branscomb Road at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

During the search, officers found 721 marijuana plants in the house as well as 50 pounds of processed marijuana. Officers also seized eight firearms and $70,000 in cash.

Officers identified Michael Campbell and Rebecca Campbell, both 53 of Branscomb, as suspects, and charges of cultivation of marijuana for sale and possession of marijuana for sale have been filed against them with the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.

They were not arrested.

Later on Tuesday, a traffic stop on Highway 1 led sheriff's deputies to more than 9 pounds of marijuana.

According to sheriff's reports, Seneca John Bertovich, 27, of Fort Bragg, was stopped on Highway 1 near Fort Bragg for alleged reckless driving at 11:20 p.m. Tuesday.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Bertovich on reckless driving charges and searched his car, coming up with 9.36 pounds of processed marijuana, according to sheriff's reports.

Bertovich was further arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana and transportation of marijuana for sale and was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

BREAKING NEWS: Drug raid reveals police impersonations

By K.C. MEADOWS The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 02/14/2008 11:32:47 AM PST


The county's drug task force served a search warrant at a home on Ruddick-Cunningham Road expecting to find methamphetamine and marijuana and found not only the drugs but evidence of a drug thieving operation which includes costumes with which the thieves are impersonating drug enforcement officers.

A black ball cap and bulletproof vest labeled "POLICE" and "NARCOTICS" along with handcuffs, a badge, holsters, hoods and a pair of black tactical pants were among the items seized from the three-bedroom home where two arrests were made.

Veronica Vega Sandoval and Juan Carlos Garcia Arreguin, both 35, were arrested at the scene. A person who lived at the house is being sought by police.

Children living in the home were at school at the time of the arrests.

Officers, with the help of the Task Force drug search dog found more than one quarter ounce of suspected methamphetamine in the house as well as two one-pound bags of trimmed marijuana buds and an estimated 10-pounds of untrimmed marijuana filling a blue plastic tub, approximately 20 gallons in size. Officers also seized a rifle.

According to Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force Commander Bob Nishiyama, the police-style costume is the same as one found in at least one other drug raid, and investigators believe it is linked to numerous home invasion robberies involving marijuana including several in Boonville and the most recent on Cow Mountain in December.

Nishiyama said these robberies are becoming more common.

He said people involved in drugs have found it is easier to steal marijuana than grow it themselves.
"They'd find who was finished harvesting, who had the bulk marijuana, and rob them," Nishiyama said. He said he believed there were many more home invasions of drugs than were reported, especially among victims who are Hispanic and don't feel comfortable contacting law enforcement.

Mendocino County Sheriff's Det. Sgt. Greg Van Patten, on hand with other sheriff's deputies to assist at the scene, said the impersonation of officers is particularly disturbing.

"Not only do the victims think it was us, but when we go on our lawful seizures, will people think they're being robbed?" he said.

The scene outside the home - which investigators say was a Section 8 HUD rental for low income residents - was littered with pieces of equipment, car parts, at least five vehicles, two boats, a horse trailer, trampoline, children's bicycles and go-carts, all in varying states of repair.

Also on the property were a flock of hens, several geese and at least two suspected cock-fighting roosters. The house was equipped with a security camera.