United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner
Eastern District of California
Marijuana Dispensary Founders Enter Guilty Pleas
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Lauren Horwood |
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July 26, 2011 |
PHONE: (916) 554-2706 |
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www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae |
usacae.edcapress@usdoj.gov |
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Docket #: 1:10-cr-00176-OWW |
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FRESNO, Calif. – United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that Erik Christopher Stacy, 28, and Robert Davis Dodson, 53, of Ridgecrest, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. Charles Lee Kisor, 39, pleaded guilty to the same offense last week.
According to court documents, the defendants admitted to forming B&C Natural Things in order to sell marijuana, and admitted to growing marijuana to be sold through the business. On April 27, 2010, agents located a total of 719 marijuana plants being grown at various locations in and around Ridgecrest, including within 1,000 feet of a school.
U.S. Attorney Wagner said: "Distributing marijuana is illegal under federal law, and those who attempt to profit by growing and selling it can expect to be prosecuted by this office."
The case is the product of an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) and the Ridgecrest Police Department. NCIS routinely works with state, local and other federal agencies to prevent the illegal distribution of drugs to the Department of Navy workforce. NCIS became involved in the investigation into the defendants' criminal activities when it received information that one or more of the defendants were supplying marijuana to Department of Navy employees located in and around the China Lake Naval Base in Ridgecrest. Assistant United States Attorney Elana S. Landau is prosecuting the case.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Oliver W. Wanger on November 14, 2011 at 1:30p.m. They face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 40 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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