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Ten arrests made in alleged Santa Cruz-Texas pot operation
By Jennifer Squires - Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted: 01/17/2009 01:30:39 AM PST
SANTA CRUZ -- Sheriff's deputies investigating an interstate drug ring arrested 10 people during raids at 11 homes in Santa Cruz, Aptos, Freedom, Ben Lomond and Felton on Thursday.
All are suspected of growing or selling marijuana resold at exorbitant prices in Texas, according to Sgt. Steve Carney of the Sheriff's Office drug unit.
The large drug operation was apparently funneled through Robert David Scott, 39, of Aptos, who once a week sold 5 pounds of pot at $4,000 a pound to a Texas man.
Carney said the unidentified Texan flew to Santa Cruz weekly to pick up his marijuana order, then shipped it through a private service to Denton, Texas. The Texan has been arrested.
Before his arrest, Texas law enforcement contacted California authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the county's Narcotics Enforcement Team.
A Sheriff's Office detective has been investigating the pot growing suspects since early December. Four homes were raided in mid-December and more than $22,000 in cash was seized, but the bulk of the bust occurred Thursday when 55 officers from six local, state and federal agencies served 11 search warrants.
During the raids, deputies confiscated more than $14,000 cash, 9 pounds of pot packaged to sell, nearly 1,300 marijuana plants and indoor marijuana growing equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Apparently, the interstate operation began at least a year ago when Scott arranged people to provide bulk marijuana for the Texan, Carney said. Not all of the growers knew they were cultivating for buyers in Texas, nor were they all acquaintances.
"We think that just part of their operations probably got them pulled into this," Carney said of the alleged growers. "There was evidence that they were selling to other people than just this Texas group."
Nearly everyone arrested Thursday claimed to be medicinal marijuana users and had medical recommendations. Carney said although some were within the medical guidelines for the size of their indoor gardens, selling the pot to the Texan via Scott violated the medicinal exception.
"What they were aware of -- at least that we could see -- is they were growing and processing marijuana at a bulk level," Carney said.
The Sheriff's Office raided the following homes:
n 222 Columbia St., Santa Cruz: Niels Alexander Hansen, 22, of Santa Cruz was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale, marijuana sales and conspiracy.
n 807 Cresta Vista Way, Aptos: Robert Daniel Scott was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and conspiracy. Katie Lynn Huber, 27, of Aptos was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale, marijuana sales and conspiracy. Cash and other evidence was seized.
n A home on the 50 block of Bowker Road, Freedom: Grow equipment and 140 indoor pot plants were taken.
n 461 Eighth Ave., Live Oak, and a second house on the same street: Melanie Myers and Jacob Anderson, both 29 and from Santa Cruz, were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and cultivating marijuana. Cash and cultivation equipment were taken.
n A home on the 9000 block of Zayante Road, Felton: 239 indoor pot plants, grow equipment and packaging material were found.
n 461 Gold Ave., Felton: Chris Huber, 40, of Felton was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and cultivating marijuana. Deputies found 106 marijuana plants and grow equipment.
n A second home on the 400 block of Gold Avenue: 2 pounds of processed marijuana, cash and other alleged evidence of drug sales were taken.
n 740 Tie Gulch Road, Santa Cruz: Anthony Orlando, 27, and Melissa Wieselman, 30, both of Santa Cruz were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and cultivating marijuana. About 180 pot plants and cash were taken.
n 843 Brookside, Felton: Patrick Higbee, 29, and Jaxon Roberts, 24, both of Santa Cruz, were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale, cultivating marijuana and conspiracy. Deputies found 226 pot plants, cash and 3 pounds of bulk marijuana.
n A home on the 800 block of Noteware Drive, Ben Lomond: 4 pounds of marijuana, 218 pot plants, packaging materiel, pay-owe ledgers and cash were found.
Carney said at least two other arrests are anticipated. Deputies are still searching for other assets from the drug sales, although he speculated much of the money may have been spent. One alleged grower used it to pay for graduate school, he said.
The Sheriff's Office reported seeing an increase in interstate pot sales in the past couple of years.
"The interesting thing is it seems like in the past year we're dealing with agencies calling us from Texas and all over the U.S. telling us people are shipping marijuana from California," Carney said.
Sheriff's Office drug detectives have found more indoor grow houses recently, many of which are operated to augment someone's income.
"Honestly there are probably so many grow houses in the community," Carney said. "I looked at our stats from this year and last year, our indoor grow stats have just gone kind of crazy."
Everyone arrested during Thursday's raids was booked into County Jail. Most made bail Friday and will be arraigned in court later this month.
Contact Jennifer Squires at 429-2449 or [email protected].
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By Jennifer Squires - Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted: 01/17/2009 01:30:39 AM PST
SANTA CRUZ -- Sheriff's deputies investigating an interstate drug ring arrested 10 people during raids at 11 homes in Santa Cruz, Aptos, Freedom, Ben Lomond and Felton on Thursday.
All are suspected of growing or selling marijuana resold at exorbitant prices in Texas, according to Sgt. Steve Carney of the Sheriff's Office drug unit.
The large drug operation was apparently funneled through Robert David Scott, 39, of Aptos, who once a week sold 5 pounds of pot at $4,000 a pound to a Texas man.
Carney said the unidentified Texan flew to Santa Cruz weekly to pick up his marijuana order, then shipped it through a private service to Denton, Texas. The Texan has been arrested.
Before his arrest, Texas law enforcement contacted California authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the county's Narcotics Enforcement Team.
A Sheriff's Office detective has been investigating the pot growing suspects since early December. Four homes were raided in mid-December and more than $22,000 in cash was seized, but the bulk of the bust occurred Thursday when 55 officers from six local, state and federal agencies served 11 search warrants.
During the raids, deputies confiscated more than $14,000 cash, 9 pounds of pot packaged to sell, nearly 1,300 marijuana plants and indoor marijuana growing equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Apparently, the interstate operation began at least a year ago when Scott arranged people to provide bulk marijuana for the Texan, Carney said. Not all of the growers knew they were cultivating for buyers in Texas, nor were they all acquaintances.
"We think that just part of their operations probably got them pulled into this," Carney said of the alleged growers. "There was evidence that they were selling to other people than just this Texas group."
Nearly everyone arrested Thursday claimed to be medicinal marijuana users and had medical recommendations. Carney said although some were within the medical guidelines for the size of their indoor gardens, selling the pot to the Texan via Scott violated the medicinal exception.
"What they were aware of -- at least that we could see -- is they were growing and processing marijuana at a bulk level," Carney said.
The Sheriff's Office raided the following homes:
n 222 Columbia St., Santa Cruz: Niels Alexander Hansen, 22, of Santa Cruz was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale, marijuana sales and conspiracy.
n 807 Cresta Vista Way, Aptos: Robert Daniel Scott was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and conspiracy. Katie Lynn Huber, 27, of Aptos was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale, marijuana sales and conspiracy. Cash and other evidence was seized.
n A home on the 50 block of Bowker Road, Freedom: Grow equipment and 140 indoor pot plants were taken.
n 461 Eighth Ave., Live Oak, and a second house on the same street: Melanie Myers and Jacob Anderson, both 29 and from Santa Cruz, were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and cultivating marijuana. Cash and cultivation equipment were taken.
n A home on the 9000 block of Zayante Road, Felton: 239 indoor pot plants, grow equipment and packaging material were found.
n 461 Gold Ave., Felton: Chris Huber, 40, of Felton was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and cultivating marijuana. Deputies found 106 marijuana plants and grow equipment.
n A second home on the 400 block of Gold Avenue: 2 pounds of processed marijuana, cash and other alleged evidence of drug sales were taken.
n 740 Tie Gulch Road, Santa Cruz: Anthony Orlando, 27, and Melissa Wieselman, 30, both of Santa Cruz were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and cultivating marijuana. About 180 pot plants and cash were taken.
n 843 Brookside, Felton: Patrick Higbee, 29, and Jaxon Roberts, 24, both of Santa Cruz, were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale, cultivating marijuana and conspiracy. Deputies found 226 pot plants, cash and 3 pounds of bulk marijuana.
n A home on the 800 block of Noteware Drive, Ben Lomond: 4 pounds of marijuana, 218 pot plants, packaging materiel, pay-owe ledgers and cash were found.
Carney said at least two other arrests are anticipated. Deputies are still searching for other assets from the drug sales, although he speculated much of the money may have been spent. One alleged grower used it to pay for graduate school, he said.
The Sheriff's Office reported seeing an increase in interstate pot sales in the past couple of years.
"The interesting thing is it seems like in the past year we're dealing with agencies calling us from Texas and all over the U.S. telling us people are shipping marijuana from California," Carney said.
Sheriff's Office drug detectives have found more indoor grow houses recently, many of which are operated to augment someone's income.
"Honestly there are probably so many grow houses in the community," Carney said. "I looked at our stats from this year and last year, our indoor grow stats have just gone kind of crazy."
Everyone arrested during Thursday's raids was booked into County Jail. Most made bail Friday and will be arraigned in court later this month.
Contact Jennifer Squires at 429-2449 or [email protected].
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