Marijuana Busts Yield Towering Plants, 19 Arrests

In September, a man discovered a marijuana grow near Pope Canyon Road in Napa County. On Sept. 22, 2011, agents with the Napa Special Investigations Bureau and Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement located the marijuana grow. They eradicated 2,513 plants. No suspects were located.

Also in September, agents flying over Napa County saw several large marijuana grows around Pope Valley. Search warrants were obtained and several properties were searched:

On Sept. 29, agents served search warrants at two properties where marijuana was being grown.

At one property, in the 8900 block of Butts Canyon Road, agents located over 600 large, growing marijuana plants. Two men were arrested:

• Jack Stephens, 59, of Pope Valley, for possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation of marijuana and possession of a firearm by a felon or addict

• Lonny Horn, age 63, of Pope Valley, for possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana

The firearms Stephens possessed were a sawed off .22 caliber rifle and a .22 caliber revolver.

The second property was located on the 2200 block of Stage Coach Canyon Road. The residents at this property were related to the growing operation involving Horn and Stephens. Agents discovered 267 marijuana plants being grown inside the residence.

• Cara Cardoza, 30, of Pope Valley was contacted at the residence. She had oxycodone in her possession and did not have a prescription for the drug. She was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation of marijuana. and possession of a controlled substance.

Arrested on Oct. 12 in connection with this cultivation operation:

• Nicholas Naylor, age 33, homeless, for possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana

On Oct. 4, agents served a search warrant at a residence on the 8700 block of Butts Canyon Road. NSIB agents located 184 large marijuana plants, 3 pounds of processed marijuana, several dozen pounds of marijuana drying and being processed and manicured, along with two shotguns.

Two men were arrested for possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation of marijuana, and being armed in the commission of a felony:

• Justin Seitz, 39, of Santa Rosa

• Scott Klein, 43, of Napa

On Oct. 11, agents served a follow-up search warrant on the 3400 block of Calistoga Road in Santa Rosa. Agents located another 2 pounds of marijuana and concentrated cannabis (hash) at the residence of Justin Seitz.

On October 7, agents served a search warrant on the 8300 block of Butts Canyon Road. They located 35 very large marijuana plants (over 8 feet tall), each with several pounds of marijuana flower (bud) on it, in addition to 100 pounds of dried and processed marijuana, 3 shotguns and 4 rifles. for possession for sale and cultivation of marijuana:

• Gerald Bennett, 56

• Linda Bennett, 55

• Cody Bennett, age 28, also arrested for possession of a firearm by a felon or addict.             

On Oct. 13 at approx. 10:00AM, Napa Special Investigations Bureau (NSIB) agents went to a large residence under construction to serve a search warrant related to a large scale backyard marijuana growing operation next to the home. This was on the 2700 Block of Lower Chiles Pope Valley Road.

NSIB agents showed up in time to interrupt a large trimming operation going on in the garage of the home, which was still under construction and unfurnished.

The garage, which was being used to dry the marijuana, was outfitted with nine chairs and trimming stations for all the workers to trim and manicure the product. 

Just below the home, agents eradicated 63 large growing marijuana plants. All the cultivators and trimmers at the residence were arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell, in addition to cultivation of marijuana. They were transported to and booked at :

• Peter Hosking, 36, Oakland

• Austin Matkin, 32, Soquel

• Benjamin Stewart, 25, Oakland

• Kristin Suthard, 26, Oakland

• Joseph Lamoureux, 25, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

• Nicolas Mochinski, 35, Nicaragua

• Marianna Intoccia, 32, Spain

• Leyla Ojeda, 29, Spain

• Sylvia Torres, 29, Spain

Also on Oct. 13, agents served a search warrant near Longhorn Ridge Road and Monticello Road, where they eradicated over 100 medium-sized marijuana plants. No suspects were apprehended at this site.

NSIB agents are trained in medical marijuana laws and how to distinguish between patients growing within the parameters of the Compassionate Use Act (CUA) and those suspects who seek to pose as “patients” under the CUA and instead grow marijuana for commercial purposes, driven by profits instead of medical needs. 

In one of the above cases, a drug “buyer” actually called the residence while agents were still there serving the search warrant. The buyer actually negotiated with an undercover agent over the phone for large marijuana purchases, thinking the undercover agent was associated with one of the arrested growers.

NSIB will continue to investigate commercial type, profit driven, marijuana farming operations regardless of whether the growers are attempting to operate under the guise and abuses of the Compassionate Use Act.

Oct. 13, 2011, at approximately 7 p.m., NSIB went to a residence on Redhead Street in American Canyon to serve a search warrant related to marijuana cultivation. 

The entire second story of the home was found to have been converted into a large indoor marijuana growing operation, with over 40 ballast to support high intensity growing lamps. There was also a sophisticated air venting and filtration system. 

There was exposed electrical wiring and the PG&E meter was bypassed to avoid the charges related to the high electrical usage. Agents seized over 300 plants growing in the house.

NSIB agents previously identified the cultivator as

• Qui Tang of Oakland

Tang was taken into custody without incident after American Canyon Police arrested him on a car stop just two miles away. Tang had $1,147.00 in US Currency, mostly $100 bills, in his possession at the time of arrest. The currency was seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings. 

PG&E responded to cut off the electricity as the exposed wiring all throughout the second floor, high electrical usage, and standing water on the floors represented a fire hazard.

Tang was transported to the Napa County Department of Corrections where he was booked for possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation of marijuana, and theft of utilities.

Napa Special Investigations Bureau