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Not quite two weeks after a multi-agency drug raid set the San Juan Ridge abuzz, law enforcement officers were at it again Tuesday in the same area.
Agents from the DEA, BLM, Nevada County Narcotics Task Force, Butte County Sheriff's Office and the Yuba County Sheriff's Office served search warrants at nine different locations, after several over-flights allegedly identified numerous active marijuana cultivation sites on nearly every parcel.
Jonathan T. Farrell, 39, was identified as the owner of most of the properties where the search warrants were executed. A total of 458 marijuana plants and $10,000 in cash were recovered in Tuesday's raid. Farrell is being charged at the federal level with planting and cultivating marijuana and transporting and selling marijuana.
Nevada County narcotics officers began investigating Farrell around the first of the year after learning of a large marijuana grow on his property, said Sheriff Keith Royal. As officers learned of other properties Farrell owned or had sold recently, the investigation grew, he added.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Farrell was previously convicted of first-degree child neglect and possession of a controlled substance after being arrested for growing marijuana, in Oregon in 1994.
During the drug raid Tuesday, law enforcement officers went to properties in Camptonville and French Corral, as well as several properties on Old Mill, Long Point, North Canyon and Tyler Foote Crossing roads.
At one parcel in the 18000 block of North Canyon Road, a greenhouse was located with 24 marijuana plants that were 10 to 14 feet tall, according to the declaration by DEA Agent Brian Nehring. He also allegedly found one plant drying under the deck of the house, 10 plants and a large amount of bud in a workshop and 28 plants in an outdoor garden.
Farrell drove up to the house with his girlfriend and Nehring allegedly found a box of 9 mm ammunition and a pistol magazine in the vehicle. Farrell allegedly told Nehring he only kept a shotgun in a trailer on the property for protection. A semi-automatic shotgun was located next to several motion-detection cameras and Farrell allegedly admitted he kept a pistol at another residence.
“Farrell stated he knew he couldn't own a firearm as a felon and that he had planned on trying to expunge his prior felonies but that it was dangerous out there,” Nehring wrote.
Agents found seven plants and a large amount of bud material at a residence in the 14000 block of Marysville Road in Camptonville, as well as a pistol, three rifles and a large amount of cash. A greenhouse containing marijuana plants was located at a property in the 20000 block of Pleasant Valley Road in French Corral, but residents claimed that 80 of the 112 plants found belonged to a separate adjacent property. More than 100 plants were discovered at a property in the 17000 block of Camptonville, and a man at that property said he was the owner and had recently purchased the property from Farrell.
Another federal arrest warrant is expected to be issued as a result of this investigation.
On Sept. 9, almost 200 law enforcement officers and agents raided nine locations on property belonging to Charles Miller Hilkey Jr., 55. According to a federal complaint, Hilkey allegedly was growing large quantities of marijuana on multiple parcels on Sages, Badger Hill, Patterson Mine, Hoyt Crossing and Tyler-Foote Crossing roads.
Over the course of the day, 602 marijuana plants and 135 pounds of processed marijuana were removed, said Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal. Investigators also recovered $200,000 in cash, he said.
The IRS determined Hilkey allegedly made deposits into six accounts at three different banks and earned approximately $1.9 million in profits during the past two years. He allegedly would “structure” his deposits, breaking up large sums of currency into transactions of less than $10,000 to evade reporting requirements.
Melissa Thomas, 51, of North San Juan, was listed as owning one of the suspect properties. She was arrested on a county warrant and charged with planting/cultivating marijuana.
Hilkey and Christof Heinen, 35, were arrested on federal charges.
Douglas Schuurman, 32, of Clairmont, was charged with planting/cultivating marijuana; transporting/selling marijuana; and criminal conspiracy.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
Agents from the DEA, BLM, Nevada County Narcotics Task Force, Butte County Sheriff's Office and the Yuba County Sheriff's Office served search warrants at nine different locations, after several over-flights allegedly identified numerous active marijuana cultivation sites on nearly every parcel.
Jonathan T. Farrell, 39, was identified as the owner of most of the properties where the search warrants were executed. A total of 458 marijuana plants and $10,000 in cash were recovered in Tuesday's raid. Farrell is being charged at the federal level with planting and cultivating marijuana and transporting and selling marijuana.
Nevada County narcotics officers began investigating Farrell around the first of the year after learning of a large marijuana grow on his property, said Sheriff Keith Royal. As officers learned of other properties Farrell owned or had sold recently, the investigation grew, he added.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Farrell was previously convicted of first-degree child neglect and possession of a controlled substance after being arrested for growing marijuana, in Oregon in 1994.
During the drug raid Tuesday, law enforcement officers went to properties in Camptonville and French Corral, as well as several properties on Old Mill, Long Point, North Canyon and Tyler Foote Crossing roads.
At one parcel in the 18000 block of North Canyon Road, a greenhouse was located with 24 marijuana plants that were 10 to 14 feet tall, according to the declaration by DEA Agent Brian Nehring. He also allegedly found one plant drying under the deck of the house, 10 plants and a large amount of bud in a workshop and 28 plants in an outdoor garden.
Farrell drove up to the house with his girlfriend and Nehring allegedly found a box of 9 mm ammunition and a pistol magazine in the vehicle. Farrell allegedly told Nehring he only kept a shotgun in a trailer on the property for protection. A semi-automatic shotgun was located next to several motion-detection cameras and Farrell allegedly admitted he kept a pistol at another residence.
“Farrell stated he knew he couldn't own a firearm as a felon and that he had planned on trying to expunge his prior felonies but that it was dangerous out there,” Nehring wrote.
Agents found seven plants and a large amount of bud material at a residence in the 14000 block of Marysville Road in Camptonville, as well as a pistol, three rifles and a large amount of cash. A greenhouse containing marijuana plants was located at a property in the 20000 block of Pleasant Valley Road in French Corral, but residents claimed that 80 of the 112 plants found belonged to a separate adjacent property. More than 100 plants were discovered at a property in the 17000 block of Camptonville, and a man at that property said he was the owner and had recently purchased the property from Farrell.
Another federal arrest warrant is expected to be issued as a result of this investigation.
On Sept. 9, almost 200 law enforcement officers and agents raided nine locations on property belonging to Charles Miller Hilkey Jr., 55. According to a federal complaint, Hilkey allegedly was growing large quantities of marijuana on multiple parcels on Sages, Badger Hill, Patterson Mine, Hoyt Crossing and Tyler-Foote Crossing roads.
Over the course of the day, 602 marijuana plants and 135 pounds of processed marijuana were removed, said Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal. Investigators also recovered $200,000 in cash, he said.
The IRS determined Hilkey allegedly made deposits into six accounts at three different banks and earned approximately $1.9 million in profits during the past two years. He allegedly would “structure” his deposits, breaking up large sums of currency into transactions of less than $10,000 to evade reporting requirements.
Melissa Thomas, 51, of North San Juan, was listed as owning one of the suspect properties. She was arrested on a county warrant and charged with planting/cultivating marijuana.
Hilkey and Christof Heinen, 35, were arrested on federal charges.
Douglas Schuurman, 32, of Clairmont, was charged with planting/cultivating marijuana; transporting/selling marijuana; and criminal conspiracy.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
