A joint investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies has resulted in a multi-count federal grand jury indictment charging a Shasta County couple with manufacturing and distributing giant quantities of marijuana. Included in that investigations were California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and Department of Justice (DOJ) special agents.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment July 11, 2013, charging John Wesley Lane, 33 and Kelsey Ann Lane, 26, both of Anderson, with manufacturing and distributing marijuana.
"This was a an operation that involved a lot of law enforcement resources on many levels," said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA). CSLEA represents ABC agents and DOJ special agents along with nearly 7,000 law enforcement, public safety and consumer protection professionals who serve the state of California.
According to court documents, on December 13, 2012, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at the Lanes' home and warehouse in Anderson and at the California Patients Collective marijuana dispensary in Redding.
At the warehouse in Anderson, agents found a complex indoor marijuana manufacturing operation that included approximately 2,700 mature marijuana plants and 1,300 marijuana clones. Agents also seized approximately 88 pounds of processed marijuana.
At the Lanes' home, agents found 130 pounds of processed marijuana, numerous firearms, and $51,860.87 in currency.
At the California Patients Collective dispensary in Redding, agents seized nearly 200 marijuana plants, processed marijuana, concentrated cannabis, edible marijuana, and $4,673.00 in currency.
Five months later, in May of 2013, law enforcement agents obtained information that the Lanes were continuing to grow marijuana at the warehouse in Anderson. Once again, federal search warrants were executed at the warehouse, the Lanes’ home and the California Patients Collective marijuana dispensary in Redding.
Law enforcement agents once again found a complex indoor marijuana grow in full operation at the warehouse with 2,329 mature marijuana plants and an additional 1,724 clones which had not developed a root structure. John Lane, who was found at the warehouse at the time of the search, was arrested.
On June 13, 2013, John and Kelsey Lane were charged by criminal complaint in the Eastern District of California with conspiracy to manufacture at least 1,000 marijuana plants. Both made their initial appearance in federal court on June 14, 2013.
Both defendants face maximum statutory penalties of up to life in prison and statutory mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison based on the quantity of drugs charged.
