Clearlake >> Officers have made round of arrests this week of alleged illegal commercial marijuana growers and seized hundreds of pounds of pot and plants.
On Wednesday at about 3 p.m., Clearlake Police Department (CPD) personnel were told by Clearlake Code Enforcement officers that a U-Haul trailer parked in front of a property in the 16200 block of 20th Avenue contained marijuana, Sgt. Tim Hobbs reported. U-Haul rental vehicles are commonly used to transport large amounts of marijuana.
Officers spoke with Clearlake resident Calvin Jones, 53, who was standing near the trailer. The law enforcement officials allegedly saw 40 plastic storage containers containing marijuana inside the trailer and in the property’s driveway.
Jones was interviewed and reportedly admitted to owning the marijuana which he transported to Lake County from a grow location in another county, Hobbs said. Jones was arrested and later booked into the Lake County jail on charges of cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sales.
The property was secured, and during the service of the search warrant approximately 1,340 pounds of partially processed and processed marijuana along with 522 growing marijuana plants were seized by authorities.
The following day at 10:30 a.m., CPD detectives served a search warrant related to marijuana cultivation at a residence in the 12900 block of Hill Street.
During the service of the search warrant 35 large plastic storage containers containing processed marijuana and 35 growing marijuana plants were seized, Hobbs stated. The total weight of the plants and the processed marijuana was 260 pounds.
Two men identified as Clearlake residents Jacob Fricano, 25, and Jesse Holland, 43, were inside the residence and reportedly admitted to owning the marijuana. Fricano and Holland were arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail and charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales and conspiracy to commit a felony.
