Minnesota mayor and son arrested for illegally growing hundreds of marijuana plants
UPDATE (Sept. 8, 2024): Charges were dropped against Jacob and Scott Robertson on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28, respectively, according to court documents.
WINNEBAGO, Minn. — A Minnesota mayor and his son are charged with illegally growing marijuana after police seized over 200 plants from their properties.
Winnebago Mayor Scott Robertson, 67, and his son, Jacob Robertson, 47, are both facing multiple charges related to the unlawful cultivation of more than 23 cannabis plants.
The South Central Drug Investigation Unit and the Faribault County Sheriff's Office located "approximately 240 plants believed to be marijuana" at three different addresses in Winnebago associated with the Robertsons.
According to charging documents, the Robertsons previously operated a licensed and regulated hemp cultivating operation. They each had a license active in 2023 but it expired at the start of the year.
Regulations also require each hemp crop to be registered with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. They had not registered one since 2021.
In February 2023, MDA officials allegedly inspected the Robertson's property and found no hemp crop growing there. However, witnesses report seeing the two men backing an enclosed trailer onto the property and said they used it to remove all growing plants there before the inspection.
Nearly a year later, an anonymous tip submitted to the Faribault County Sheriff's Office notified police that the Robertsons were growing a "large number" of marijuana plants inside greenhouses at the same property.
Court documents state that none of the labeled plants found on the Robertson's properties matched the known and registered hemp seeds and plants permitted to be grown in the state.
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Both men have been arrested and are being held at the Faribault County Jail.
Winnebago is located about 35 miles south of Mankato.
