Juan Penaloza-Ramirez, alias Juan Penaloza-Herrera and Juan Penaloza, a 46-year-old from Michoacán, Mexico, residing in Taft, California, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess marijuana with intent to distribute. The crime took place at three cultivation sites within the Sequoia National Forest. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced that Penaloza agreed to pay $10,198 for damages to public land.
According to court documents, Penaloza was involved in a major operation employing growers, deliverymen, and others. Each winter, he traveled to Mexico to recruit individuals to cultivate marijuana on U.S. public lands. At the Fay Creek site, law enforcement seized 3,151 plants, while trash was scattered throughout the area, including near a flowing stream.
The Brush Creek grow site contained 2,719 plants. The eradication of new vegetation and trees post-2002 McNally Fire was noted, with large piles of trash found between boulders and along a trout-supporting stream. Toxic pesticides from Mexico were also discovered at the site.
In addition, The Needles grow site held 2,608 marijuana plants, with toxic chemicals and waste present. The water source for the plants originated from a spring leading to the Upper Kern River. This investigation was a joint effort by multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, DEA, BLM, ICE HSI, ATF, HIDTA task force, and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Penaloza is set for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on June 19, 2017. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison with a potential maximum of 40 years and a $5 million fine. Co-defendant Russell Lee Riggs, 68, of Weldon, California, has a status conference scheduled for May 8, 2017.
Penaloza’s plea agreement includes the forfeiture of firearms and ammunition from his home search. The actual sentence will be determined by the court considering statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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