INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED COMMERCIAL POT GROW MAY TAKE MONTHS

It could be months before those allegedly behind a commercial
marijuana organization targeted by federal agents this week are
publicly identified and prosecuted, a Federal Bureau of Investigation
official said Thursday.

FBI Special Agent Joseph Schadler said that there's no way to pin
down just how long it will take for evidence to be processed and to
complete the investigation. But federal indictments may be handed
down within a couple months, he said.

"They'll look at what they picked up, go to prosecutors to determine
if charges will be filed, who (against) and what statutes were
violated," Schadler said. "At some point, I suspect you'll see
charges against some of the people - when that happens, there will be
many more details for the public."

The approximately 450 federal, state and local law enforcement
personnel working "Operation Southern Sweep" were finishing searching
the 2,000 acres - which are said to belong to the targets of the
investigation - on Thursday and should be out of town by today
(Friday), Schadler said.

Early Tuesday morning, grow houses and residences in Arcata,
McKinleyville, Redway, Phillipsville, Miranda, Garberville,
Ettersburg, Shelter Cove and Whitethorn were raided, along with the
nearly 2,000 acres in southern Humboldt County and northern Mendocino County.

About 10,000 marijuana plants, estimated to be worth between $25
million and $60 million on the street, were seized, along with more
than $160,000 in cash, 30 firearms and a vehicle, a news release
stated. More evidence had been found as of Thursday, but Schadler
didn't return phone calls with the specifics.

On his drive to San Francisco, Schadler said more plants, generators,
processed pot and grow houses were found, but he didn't have specific
amounts. "We even found brownies," he said. "I don't think they were
seized." Schadler didn't know whether the baked goods contained cannabis.

No charges have been filed against any of the targets and no one has
been arrested, other than a man who was arrested on suspicion of
assaulting a federal agent during the execution of the search
warrants on Tuesday. His name was not released.

The investigation into the alleged commercial and growing and dealing
operation started in early 2006 by the California Department of
Justice Bureau of Narcotics' Redding office, a news release stated.

The BNE office started an investigation into a California-based
organization, which had purchased a large parcel of mountainous land
in southern Humboldt County and northern Mendocino County areas.

The office suspected large amounts of marijuana were being grown on
the land and was being sold for profit.

A Sunny Brae man, whose name wasn't disclosed in a Times-Standard
article, told the newspaper his 35 marijuana plants were seized,
though he was growing under Proposition 215 regulations. When
questioned about whether the man's home was targeted by mistake,
Schadler said, "he is connected to this group."

"If the place where he was living was searched, that property was
connected to this investigation, regardless if he claims to be 215,"
he said. "Someone or property connected to this case can not hide
behind 215 when they're looking at a federal warrant or federal charges."

The rumors of impending pot raids that were made available to the
public on blogs in the weeks before the raids didn't negatively
affect the federal investigation, Schadler said, and it wasn't too surprising.

"It's very hard to keep any large-scale operation quiet," he said.
"It's not unusual for word to leak out."

And the specifics weren't dead-on, Schadler said. "We did spend a lot
of time reading the blogs," he said. "It's nice to know what people
know or what they think they know."

"If we had been reading the blogs and somebody knew exactly what site
we were going to and when, that might have altered the plans,"
Schadler said. "Everyone knew there would be a couple hundred agents
coming up to the area, but no one knew what and when or whom until Tuesday."

Schadler wouldn't comment as to whether the source of the leak is
being investigated. But he stressed that safety of involved agents
and people at homes where warrants are served is the biggest
priority. "We just wanted to do the searches," he said. "The most
important thing is that everyone on both sides of the door go home
safely at the end of the night."

When asked how much public money was spent on salaries, fuel, meals,
lodging and expenses related to the investigation, Schadler said he
didn't know. "I honestly don't know if it's something that's a matter
of public record," he said. "I simply don't know or have the resources to ask."