LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three separate investigations by Lake County Sheriff's detectives have led to four arrests, the seizure of approximately 250 pounds of processed marijuana and the eradication of approximately 4,118 marijuana plants.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported that Ryan Patrick Cravea, 25, and 48-year-old Dean Edward McClellan, both of Kelseyville, and Heliodoro Castellanos, 31, of Lower Lake and Jose Gabriel Pelayo, 57, of Clearlake were arrested in the cases.
In the first of the investigations, Lt. Steve Brooks said that on Oct. 21 the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force conducted a raid and eradication operation in a rural area of Kelseyville, approximately one mile south of Kelsey Creek.
The marijuana grow site – which Brooks said was located earlier in the year during a routine marijuana overflight operation – was planted shortly after several large eradications were conducted in early July of this year, in the same geographical area.
The site contained a total of 4,118 marijuana plants, which were eradicated, Brooks said.
Detectives said the plants were being irrigated using a complex gravity fed water system, which was diverting water from a nearby spring. Brooks said no suspects were located at the time of the raid.
In the second case, on Oct. 22, narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for a residence located in the 9000 block of Mojave Trail in Kelseyville, serving the warrant the following day at 9 a.m., Brooks said.
At the residence detectives located Cravea and McClellan, detaining them without incident, according to Brooks.
During the search detectives located an active butane honey oil lab and several pounds of processed marijuana. Brooks said the extraction of concentrated cannabis using the BHO method is extremely dangerous and potentially explosive.
Cravea admitted to cultivating marijuana for the purpose of sales and said it was his sole source of income, Brooks said.
While conducting a search of the residence, detectives located items linking the suspects to another residence in Middletown. After securing and serving the second search warrant at the Middletown address, Brooks said detectives located approximately 10 pounds of processed marijuana. All of the processed marijuana was seized as evidence.
Both Cravea and McClellan were arrested for cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and manufacturing a controlled substance. Brooks said Cravea also was charged with child endangerment. Both were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.
In the third case, Brooks said deputies assigned to the Highway Narcotics Interdiction Detail conducted an enforcement stop of a blue van at Highway 29 at Guenoc Lane in Middletown on Oct. 24.
Brooks said the reason for the enforcement stop was vehicle code violations. The driver was identified as Castellanos, with Pelayo riding as his passenger.
During the initial contact, deputies noticed the three rows of passenger seats in the van had been removed and the vehicle was hauling several large garbage bags and storage containers, Brooks reported.
Deputies immediately detected the odor of marijuana while speaking to both occupants. Brooks said a search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 224 bags of processed, packaged marijuana. The total combined weight of the processed marijuana was approximately 230 pounds.
Castellanos admitted ownership of the marijuana and told deputies he was en route to throw the marijuana away, Brooks said.
Brooks said both Pelayo and Castellanos were arrested for possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana.
After Pelayo was arrested on the aforementioned charges, he was found to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine. Brooks said the additional charge of possession of a controlled substance was added to Pelayo’s charges.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.