5 Indicted On Federal Marijuana Charges
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned a 23-count indictment against six men accused of cultivating and distributing large amounts of marijuana, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced.
Those charged were: Thomas Holzmann, 24, Peter Holzmann, 23, Joseph Andrade, 24, all of West Sacramento; Jonathan Sherman, 27, of Sacramento; and Eddy Arevalo, 29, of Somerset.
They're suspected of conspiring to cultivate and distribute marijuana, and various other drug offenses. Sherman was also charged with multiple counts of money laundering and structuring (keeping deposits under $10,000 to avoid reporting them).
According to court documents, the conspiracy first came to the attention of law enforcement on Dec. 9, 2010, when SMUD reported suspicious activity at a large warehouse on Lathrop Way in Sacramento.
During a security sweep of the warehouse, agents discovered a large indoor marijuana grow. This initial investigation led to the arrest of brothers Peter and Thomas Holzmann on state charges and the dismantling of two warehouse marijuana grows in Sacramento and West Sacramento.
According to the indictment, between December 2010 and October 2011, the defendants grew marijuana using sophisticated equipment in large warehouses. They distributed marijuana in the Sacramento area and attempted to ship packages of marijuana to New York. According to court filings, financial records obtained in the investigation showed large deposits at banks in eastern states and large withdrawals in the Sacramento area.
The defendants were arrested on Oct. 12 and have remained in custody except for Andrade, who was released on bail. Arevalo was scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. Wednesday. The rest are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
