Pair Arrested In Connection With Sheep Ranch Grow Bust
San Andreas, CA – Two suspects face charges in connection with a bust involving perhaps $4.3 million in illegal marijuana.
According to Calaveras County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Greg Starke, the Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served a search warrant in the 1300 block of Hubbard Road in Sheep Ranch late last week, where members found 3,347 plants growing in seven hoop-style greenhouse structures.
Deputies also arrested two men on site: 64-year-old Patrick James Owen of Middleburg, ID, and 41-year-old Douglas Brent Shepherd of Sparks, NV. Both were charged with possession of marijuana plants and marijuana for sale as well as conspiracy to commit a crime.
Current variables used to rough-estimate approximate street value are between $1,300 and $2,000 per plant and half-pound of pot when from an indoor grow; between $1,000 and $1,500 for plants and pot per pound yielding from greenhouses; and between $700 and $1,000 for plants and processed pot per pound from outdoor operations.
