Large Indoor Grow Busted–18,690 Plants and 818 Pounds
[Photos from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office]
This is a press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On May 26, 2020, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served one search warrant to investigate illegal cannabis cultivation in the Weitchpec area. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CalCannabis, Humboldt County Code Enforcement and Humboldt County Environmental Health and HAZMAT Unit assisted in the service of the warrant.
One parcel was investigated during the service of the warrant. The parcel did not possess the required county permit and state license to cultivate cannabis commercially.
During the service of the warrant, deputies eradicated approximately 18,690 growing cannabis plants. Deputies seized and destroyed approximately 818 pounds of cannabis bud.
Assisting agencies found the following violations:
- Water diversion violation (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation)
- Water pollution violation (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation)
- Failure to label hazardous waste violation (up to $70,000 fine per day, per violation)
- Failure to close hazardous waste containers violation (up to $70,000 fine per day, per violation)
- Failure to report a hazardous materials release (up to $5,000 fine per day, per violation)
- Failure to prevent a hazardous waste release (up to $70,000 fine per day, per violation)
- Improper storage and removal of solid waste violation (up to $25,000 fine per day, per violation)
- Commercial cannabis ordinance violation (up to $10,000 fine per day)
- Building without a permit violation (up to $10,000 fine per day, per violation)
Additional violations with civil fines are expected to be filed by the assisting agencies.
No arrests were made during the service of the warrant. The case will be forwarded to the DA’s Office for review.
Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
[Photos from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office]
Previous 2020 MET Operations:
- On Monday, April 27: Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) Served Search Warrant in the Mattole Road Area
- On Wednesday, April 29: Indoor Grow Raided Today
- On Thursday, April 30: Marijuana Enforcement Team Served Search Warrant in Garberville Yesterday
- On Friday, May 8: 878 Plants Eradicated in Redway Bust
- On Monday, May 11: Over 17,000 Plants Eradicated at Miranda Property Today, Says Sheriff’s Office
- On Tuesday, May 12: There wasn’t a press release but our request, Karges was able to gather some details for us. She told us,
…[D]eputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served two search warrants to investigate illegal cannabis cultivation in the Cathy’s Peak area of Honeydew. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife assisted in the service of the warrant.
Two parcels were investigated during the service of the warrants. The parcels did not possess the required county permit and state license to cultivate cannabis commercially.
During the service of the warrants, deputies eradicated approximately 2,000 growing cannabis plants.
Additional violations with civil fines are expected to be filed by the assisting agencies.
No arrests were made during the service of the warrant. The case will be forwarded to the DA’s Office for review.
- On Wednesday, May 13: Citizens’ Complaints Lead to Marijuana Bust on Wilder Ridge, Says Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office
- On May 14, Karges said a search warrant was served in the Dinsmore area. At this point we haven’t received information on what MET discovered.
- On Friday, May 15: Over 14,000 Plants and Nearly 2000 Pounds of Marijuana Found at Salmon Creek Grow, Says HCSO MET Team
- On May 20, Karges confirmed that there were search warrants served in Southern Humboldt but she hadn’t been able to gather details as of late last week. We have reports that at least one warrant was served in the Weott area.
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At least it wasn’t a Mom & Pop this time!!! That’s the ONLY Good thing about it!!!
Geezus 😳
🕯🌳I’ll second that. 👁👁👁🤯🤯
I’ll third that willi! The lake is warm willi! Cooooome on down! Carp are biting
Apparently you have to pay to play.
Gestapo would of never approved the tanker. Planning department yes cause trailer still has wheels so it is not a structure.
Another mom and pop bites the dust. These poor people just trying to feed their kids.
neighbors are getting pretty tired of this kind of greedy bullshit in their ‘hoods, especially when they involve destroying surrounding environment , toxic diesel spills and wildfire risk.
Hopefully, [edit] is feeling the heat from these indoor busts that are generated by neighbors complaints, and will shut ALL of her indoors down. Her neighbors are getting fed up with her putting everyone and their land at risk for years because of her greed and lack of regard.
Greed comes be for the fall
You are way out of line. We have all read every nasty word you’ve written about [edit]. Almost every article you find some way to attempt to demean and slander a community member that time and time again goes out of her way for all of us. Most of it jealous bullshit. Get over it. It’s been long enough.Get a life. Hey [edit] the world is full of haters. Don’t let them get you down.
[edit] Jealousy is a sickness
If “mom and pop” need this many plants to feed their kids, they must be busting out kids like litters of kittens, and feeding them exclusively lobster and prime rib.
😻🤩😻
Good one!!
Growing gas I bet.
Why is the weed BROWN?
Is it ACAPULCO GOLD? Is it a HALLUCINATION? Or BAD PHOTOGRAPHY?
Hmmmmmmmmm…. THAT’S a LOTTA SHIT!
Nice pull, coppers!
It’s what happens when you take a photo with grow lights on. Always makes the weed look brown.
Prolly HPS lights making photo look red/brown.
That’s what I call a thicket of weed. Barely even a game trail down the middle of that lighthouse…hands and knees jungle op.
Plants aside, they deserve to be busted for environmental crimes.
Water diversion violation (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation)
Water pollution violation (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation)
Failure to label hazardous waste violation (up to $70,000 fine per day, per violation)
Failure to close hazardous waste containers violation (up to $70,000 fine per day, per violation)
Failure to report a hazardous materials release (up to $5,000 fine per day, per violation)
Failure to prevent a hazardous waste release (up to $70,000 fine per day, per violation)
Improper storage and removal of solid waste violation (up to $25,000 fine per day, per violation)
Plus $1 per plant cause it’s BROWN…
OK, strain name: Renowned Brown. Downtown Brown. Brown of Renown.
The hazardous waste violations are mostly bullshit. I don’t know about this particular grow, but when I got raided/abated they tried to hit me with a $70,000 a day fine because I didn’t have a piece of tape saying “oil” on my 5 gallon crystal water jug that I have been using for oil changes for my car and truck for about 10 years now. Fill it up, bring it the dump, bring it home, start all over. Never spilled any oil. Its in my garage by my other containers that I use for antifreeze and other vehicle maintenance related repairs. Luckily I have a good lawyer and none of that flew, ended up paying $5,000 to my attorney. Still, the racked up about $100,000 per day in fines for a backyard grow that was all of 900 square feet. If code enforcement went into anybody’s garage they could hit you with those hazardous waste violations. They need to provide pictures of these supposed hazardous waste violations.
yeah, in days of yore, I had 200 small seedlings, half of which would be males, but 200 looked so bad-ass on the paperwork. Also, the D.A. (long gone) needed more weight so 10 oz. of bud became 10 lbs., just like if Jesus was busting me. A miracle! Hallelujah!
If your undocumented project is visible from the Space Station or big enough to get alien crop circles, it’s too big.
We have to assume the charges are fabricated or highly exaggerated since there are no images.
Looks like at least 50 lights. Wonder where all the other plants are I want more pictures.
Exactly — given that space, being generous would give them 1,000 plants.
And for your reading catch-up, notice how Southern California is operating.
Forget the seeds, water, air, soil, labor, beautiful climate that we live in up here.
It’s more profitable to be bribed.
https://mjbizdaily.com/california-cannabis-industry-bribery/
In SoCal they’ve even figured out how to shake you down legally.
My buddy got a license in Baldwin Park in early 2018 and on the application was the question “Would you be willing to donate $50,000.00 to the Baldwin Park Police Department?”. Of course everyone knew damn well if you didn’t donate, you’re weren’t going to get the license. He paid the bribe.
cant everybody get a regular job pay your taxes grow 6 -15 ft. plants and have enough pot to last all year forget about selling it . thats illegal.they told you there going to take you down if no permits.so why anyone would try without permits. is just a very bad business man.yes all you people busted are just stupid. or you got several grows and it dont affect you.but there coming for your other grows believe that .REmember i told yo so .its elementry.if your gonna get high on your own supply and make stupid moves …well tell it to Tony Montana.my rift started with a question .And then i lost controll cause im high on my own supply witch is 6 plant a year, and everything is groovy cause im not GREEDY…AnTiFa..remember there coming for you tmrw if your illegal..Just sayin
They may have just been growing enough to become legal. Already established proven illegal grows were the permitable ones, remember? Law-abiding citizens were excluded from commercial permits.
Where the heck is weitchpec ?
Almost as good of a tee shirt as “Weed California” or “I (heart symbol) Weed”.
Confluence of the Trinity and the Klamath Rivers. Classic high-energy Coast Range location, even before meth. Very trippy. Good place for newbies to check out on your way to trailhead or the swimming hole this summer. Never smoke schwag in such places, it offends the spirits. Only the finest burnt offering will do.
Rez
Was tribal police involved? Dont see them mentioned.
That’s a long ways out seems like out door would be more profitable who knows the other 17,000 might of been out door weed
Does anybody have any news about bust today? Nearby Dinsmore store.
Not yet. I’ve requested information.
They cut one indoor there and they left around 5:30PM. Apparently, around Dinsmore area, including Buck mountain, should be watching the business closely next whole week.
Definitely probably had 1700k plants vegging for outdoor and light dep gardens ofcourse not all for indoor flower production.
Looks good! Nice indoor! Most “newbies” here can’t and don’t t recall or remember the old days of gorilla grows or diesel indoor or camp. The helicopters hovering above our homes the dirty vigilante sheriffs stealing weed to sell all while Violating our rights.! The armed cops walking around the dirt roads staring folks down. Camp started cracking skulls and mtn folk went indoor. That indoor grow in weitchie…. Good for them! I say go for it man. There’s a lot more where this came from. Folks are going back indoor, that’s it. That’s the way the cookie crumbles. Always stay a few steps ahead and ya all good!!
I bet that diesel Grow spills less oil than the old redneck/logger/miner/mtn folk draining their oil into the ground 30 yrs ago!
Don’t worry, if you were lucky enough to be friends with any of these good ole local Sheriff’s growing up you seem to get a free pass to do whatever the fuck you want. #humcodouchecanoes
Bring the Feds, let them capitulate our local system. Let them audit, scrutinize, and bust all the corrupt legal scum bags we currently have in office. Enemy of our enemy is still the enemy, but still. Maybe then we could have justice for all the absurdity painted in abatements and forfitures.
Everyone knows Humboldt County Sheriff Department and Fish and Wildlife lie on every bust. They “trump up charges” for every possible infraction in an effort to get the farmer to plea bargain which makes it so they don’t have to go to court. This is nothing about the environment, this is a revenue earning scam which brings tens of millions to our local government in the form of black mailing cannabis farmers.