CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Thursday Clearlake Police officers closed down more illegal commercial marijuana grows in the city and seized nearly 2,300 plants.
Lt. Tim Celli, the department's acting chief, said two Clearlake men – identified as Bradley Glenn Stagg, 38, and Jose Miguel Zuniga, 20 – also were arrested during the Thursday operation.
At about 8 a.m., officers served two search warrants on four properties in the city of Clearlake that Celli said were believed to be connected.
Two of the properties were linked together located in the 3900 block of Laddell. Celli said the service of the search warrant on Laddell resulted in the seizure of 1,100 marijuana plants, with approximately 30 pounds of processed marijuana and trimmings that appeared were going to be used for a possible extraction process to make concentrated cannabis, although there were some components missing.
At the Laddell location, it was discovered that most of the house was converted for the indoor growing of marijuana. Celli said there was marijuana located throughout most of the living quarters that were in various stages of growth.
The marijuana plants inside the Laddell residence were already in bloom and had marijuana buds on them. In addition, Celli said there was hundreds of marijuana plants planted in the ground in the backyard.
Also discovered at the property was an illegal electrical connection that bypassed the electrical meter. Celli said Stagg was arrested at the site for cultivation possession of marijuana for sale and theft of utilities.
The second set of properties where Celli said officers served a second search warrant was located in the 3900 block of Manchester Avenue.
At those locations, officers seized approximately 1,193 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, Celli said.
There was an indoor growing operation at the Manchester location as well, however Celli said it appeared as though many marijuana plants had been moved to another unknown location.
He said there was evidence to suggest that there had been more of an indoor growing operation at this location at some point other than what was found.
Located on an adjacent fenced-in property – that could only be accessed from the residence property – were marijuana plants in various stages of growth. There were marijuana plants in the open and also in a “hoop house,” Celli said.
At the Manchester location officers took Zuniga into custody for cultivation of marijuana. While Zuniga was the name the man provided, Celli said it is unknown if this is his actual name.
Both residence locations were red tagged by Clearlake Code Enforcement due to dangerous mold issues as well as other code enforcement issues, Celli said.
Anyone with information related to these commercial marijuana growing operations should contact Det. Elvis Cook at 707-994-8251, Extension 315, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Both Stagg and Zuniga remained in the Lake County Jail on Thursday night, with bail for each set at $15,000, according to jail records.
Celli said the Clearlake Police Department will continue to investigate commercial marijuana operations located in the city.
He said individuals who are involved with commercial marijuana grows should be forewarned that this type of activity will not be tolerated in the city of Clearlake.
Anyone caught engaged in this type of activity – including knowingly providing properties for these types of operations – could face criminal charges related to cultivation, environmental crimes as well as civil, financial penalties. Environmental crimes will be forwarded to the California Environmental Protection Agency, Celli said.
The city currently requires that medicinal marijuana grows follow a permitting process that is only open until May 2, Celli said.
For more information visit http://clearlake.ca.us/338/Medical-Marijuana-Cultivation-Permit-App .
Police arrest two, seize nearly 2,300 marijuana plants
- Lake County News reports
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