Rastafarian pot farm in Merced County among sites targeted by deputies

Merced County Sheriff’s deputies busted up several marijuana cultivation sites, including one connected to a Rastafarian church, a sergeant said Friday.

A search of a home transformed into an indoor site in Winton and indoor and outdoor sites in Delhi turned up more than 400 plants, according to Sgt. Ray Framstad.

Jorge Luis Lopez Urena, 30, of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, was in the Winton home on Friday, deputies said. He was arrested on suspicion of growing more plants than are allowed, intent to sell the marijuana and felony theft of electricity.

Framstad said the cultivation had used at least $2,000 worth of stolen electricity. Any theft more than $950 is considered a felony, Framstad noted.

Bedrooms throughout the home had been turned into nurseries for plants, and the doors were fortified to prevent break ins, he said. Wiring had been used to bypass the electrical meter.

The house could produce 50 to 75 pounds of finished product every 90 to 120 days, Framstad said, adding that comes with a street value of about $180,000. Authorities suspect the site was connected to illegal activity.

Framstad noted that bypassed wiring is a fire hazard, adding children live in the neighborhood. Fires are common, Framstad said, pointing to a Dec. 30 fire in Winton.

Merced County firefighters were called around 10 p.m. that day to a house fire in the 7000 block of Tokay Circle in Winton. The fire apparently was sparked by overloaded electrical equipment that had been rewired unprofessionally to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of electricity, deputies said.

Also on Friday, deputies destroyed 185 marijuana plants at a home on Atlantic Way in Delhi, deputies said. Then there was the roughly 65 plants at an outdoor site on Oak Street near Delhi, Framstad said.

The outdoor site belonged to Sugarleaf Rastafarian Church, the same church that owned a farm where two Yuba County deputies were shot on Tuesday, Framstad said.

Merced County does not allow more than 12 plants for those with a medical marijuana card, and six for recreational marijuana. Framstad said deputies left 12 plants untouched at the outdoor farm.

“We don’t allow commercial grows to anybody in our county,” Framstad said.

This story was originally published August 4, 2017 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Rastafarian pot farm in Merced County among sites targeted by deputies."