Federal and local investigators descended on Rough and Ready, arresting eight men at a large-scale marijuana grow in the 11000 block of Glenn Loop.

“They had marijuana growing everywhere,” said Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal. “They had marijuana growing in Styrofoam cups, on trays, on top of roofs ... They had gardens that had been indoor (grows), but they had pulled the canopy covers off. They had marijuana drying in a trailer. They had marijuana packaged in a safe. It was quite an operation.”

The bust by the Nevada County Narcotics Task Force, along with agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Mountain and Valley Marijuana Investigation Team, and the Internal Revenue Service, had been two years in the making, Royal said.

The homeowner, John Gross II, 68, was the subject of an investigation beginning in 2008 after aerial observations showed a large marijuana grow on the approximately 10-acre property off Rex Reservoir Road, Royal said.

“He'd been going for a number of years,” Royal said. “He had been inspected before.”

At that time, there were enough medical marijuana recommendations posted to keep the grow in compliance, Royal said.

But the grow allegedly had increased in size over the last two years, with more greenhouses being built. The investigation allegedly revealed a marijuana plant cloning operation in addition to the distribution of large volumes of marijuana.

John Gross II, Kenneth Gross, 42, Jack Lions, 58, and Salvador Reyes, 53, all from Rough and Ready, were arrested at the scene.

Employees Travis Hronis, 21 of Grass Valley, Matthew Maya, 19 of Penn Valley, and Brandon Maya, 22, also of

Penn Valley, also were arrested.

A 37-year-old woman from Colfax was questioned and released at the scene.

Agents seized 2,804 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, ranging from starter plants to approximately 4 feet in height. There was a large cloning room, numerous outdoor marijuana plants and two large greenhouses full of marijuana under cultivation, Royal said. Agents also seized approximately $5,000 in U.S. currency inside the residence, and approximately 200 pounds of untrimmed and processed marijuana inside six large gun safes, several plastic totes and large plastic bags.

A sophisticated enclosed cargo trailer was being used as a drying room for the marijuana, Royal said.

“It was quite an intricate device,” he said. “It was designed to provide the best airflow.”

Two backhoes, a bulldozer, a Bobcat, two quads and the cargo trailer, along with a 2000 Ford F-350 allegedly being used to grow marijuana were also seized.

During the raid, John Gross III, 46, of Rough and Ready, came back to the property from Sacramento, where he allegedly had been opening up the P Street Cannabis Club, Royal said.

John Gross III allegedly admitted to agents that the marijuana was being grown and sold to several patients from the club in the Sacramento area and was also arrested for his involvement in the operation.

The grow would have netted a substantial profit, Royal said.

“In all reality, it's probably in excess of a million dollars,” he said.

All of the suspects were arrested and transported to the Sacramento County Jail, where they were booked on suspicion of illegal cultivation and distribution of marijuana. John Gross II had previously been convicted in Oregon for marijuana cultivation and distribution in 2005, Royal said.

Although Nevada County did have a cold spring, the weather does not appear to have impacted the marijuana growers much, Royal said. An investigator noted between 12 to 14 small grows in the areas during an overflight this week.

“These guys are getting earlier and earlier starts,” Royal said.

To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.