- Lake County News reports
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Nine arrested, marijuana and cash seized in Tuesday warrant search
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The service of a search warrant by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Wardens on Tuesday morning resulted in nine arrests, the seizure of marijuana in plant and processed form, as well as thousands of dollars in cash.
Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said at 9 a.m. Tuesday the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force assisted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife with the service of a search warrant located in the 2400 block of New Long Valley Road in Clearlake Oaks.
He said the search warrant was written by California Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel.
It was decided before the service of the search warrant that the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force would conduct the marijuana investigation and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife would investigate any environmental violations, according to Brooks.
Brooks said detectives located and detained 40-year-old Cassio Dimintri Arezzo-Caturegli of Sebastopol; 51-year-old Shona Marie Potts of Albuquerque, New Mexico; 59-year-old Jose Manuel Hernandez of Clearlake Oaks; 55-year-old Scott Michael Kaiser of Clearlake Oaks; 41-year-old Jaime Valle Lorenzo of Clearlake Oaks; 24-year-old Carlos Manual Hernandez of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; 39-year-old David Billy Mingo of Choctaw, Miss.; Alejandro S. Abdad of Sandy, Utah; and Celia Joya Virgen of Clearlake Oaks.
During a search of the property, detectives located and seized 1,934 marijuana plants in various stages of maturity. Brooks said in the barn detectives located and seized approximately 100 pounds of processed marijuana and 10 pounds of concentrated cannabis.
The detectives said it appeared that the cultivation operation was producing a continual harvest every two weeks of no less that 200 marijuana plants per harvest, according to Brooks. Above the barn in a living area, detectives located $3,792 in cash and a currency counter.
Detectives contacted Scott Kaiser, who said he was the primary renter of the property. Kaiser estimated that he was paying approximately $5,000 a month for PG&E and $1,200 a month for rent, said Brooks.
Kaiser further told detectives that he was able to fund the start up for this current marijuana operation from proceeds he made from last year’s harvest. Brooks said Kaiser also said that he had no job and no income, other that what he had saved from the prior harvest.
Brooks said that during the investigation, detectives determined this operation was a conspiracy to cultivate and process marijuana for the unlawful purpose of sales.
Abad, Arezzo-Caturegli, Jose Hernandez, Kaiser, Lorenzo, Carlos Hernandez and Mingo were arrested for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, unauthorized possession of marijuana and conspiracy, Brooks said. Potts was arrested for resisting arrest and trespassing.
All of those arrested were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Virgen was arrested for trespassing and released on a citation, Brooks said.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.