Grand Jury Blasts Isleton Officals

Failure to Ask Obvious Questions

By Mike Luery

Plans to develop a pot farm for medical marijuana have gone up in smoke – and officials in Isleton are on the hot seat. The Sacramento County Grand Jury has blasted Isleton city officials for naively approving a pot plan that was half-baked. See report here.

The pot farm was to take root outside an abandoned subdivision in Isleton. Garden hoses provided water and generators produced power inside the homes, according to the grand jury report.

The pot farm promoters promised the city of Isleton as much as $600,000 in revenue in the first year of operation – plus 50 full time jobs. However, as pointed out in the report, the promoters from Delta Allied Growers (DAG) didn't even have a bank account when they first pitched the idea to the city.

The report states, "the city of Isleton was highly vulnerable to a seemingly lucrative proposal, and that DAG exploited that vulnerability."

The report also noted, "City officials compounded the problem, by failing to exercise due caution, by failing to keep city council members fully informed, and by failing to ask obvious questions."

In response, Isleton City Manager Bruce Pope told CBS 13,"Some of the criticisms are that we didn't go deeper background checks of the finances." Pope added, "Cities are not involved in that process."

But the grand jury suggested Isleton officials should be involved and some Isleton residents told CBS 13 they expected more from their city officials:

"I think they should have been more up to speed before they made choices," said J.W. Marsall.

But Isleton officials defend their actions – despite a warning from the U.S. Attorney that the pot farm violated federal law.

The grand jury also raised serious concerns in their report that Isleton's City Attorney – David Larsen, was "being paid by DAG to expedite the approval process" which "suggests an improper financial interest in the project."

CBS 13 asked Isleton City Manager Bruce Pope, "Doesn't it present a conflict of interest when the city attorney is working for both sides?"

Pope's response, "No it does not."

"It doesn't?" this reporter asked.

"No" said Pope, "It's done every day by every city and county in the state."

City Attorney David Larsen told us he didn't see a conflict either. Read letter

Many Isleton residents remain supportive of the pot farm.

"I was for it," Linda Pace said. She added, "I was for keeping it here because it would have been good for the town."

Don Luvner agreed. Saying many residents were supportive because of "jobs and money".

The pot farm has been shut down now, but questions remain about marijuana plants that arrived – then disappeared according to the grand jury.

CBS 13 spoke with promoter Michael Brubeck by phone. He told this reporter his company, Delta Allied Growers, got rid of hundreds of pot plants by burying them under ground on the medical marijuana site.

Brubeck says he has halted all medical marijuana operations in California, despite having 23,000 customers in his collective.