Sonoma County Marijuana Bust Windfall: $1.4 Million Cash, Gold, Silver Seized In Record Haul
SEBASTOPOL (CBS SF) -- More than $1 million in cash, along with gold and silver pieces, were seized from a Sebastopol home where a marijuana growing operation was found – a haul that appears to be a record for Sonoma County.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat cited search warrant documents as saying detectives seized some $1.4 million in cash and more than 1,400 gold and silver pieces after an August fire at the home on Blank Road near Highway 116.
"I'm not aware of anything more than that," Assistant District Attorney Bud McMahon told the Press Democrat.
The previous record for drug-related seizures in the county was a 1999 Rohnert Park bust that netted $536,000, according to the report.
Police reportedly found hundreds of pounds of processed pot, live plants, weapons, ammunition and a pair of nunchaku.
Seized money and assets are normally split between law enforcement agencies participating in the drug bust, with a smaller percentage often donated to anti-gang programs or charity.
According to a Washington Post report, hundreds of millions of dollars in drug bust proceeds have been used to fund budgets of the agencies, often to buy equipment such as guns, armored vehicles and surveillance gear.
Such cash seizures, otherwise known as civil forfeitures, is the subject of a class-action lawsuit in Humboldt County. In one case, the plaintiff said a deputy seized his $50,000 in casino winnings during a traffic stop, despite not being arrested or charged with a crime.
The Press Democrat said no one has been arrested or charged in the Sebastopol case.