5 Arrested In Santa Cruz County Marijuana Bust
SANTA CRUZ (BCN) -- Three men and two women were arrested on Tuesday when Santa Cruz County sheriff's detectives served search warrants at five homes around the county and found large amounts of marijuana and weapons, a sheriff's sergeant said Thursday.
The sheriff's office received a tip about a group of people cultivating marijuana and eventually obtained search warrants for three homes on the west side of Santa Cruz, one in Bonny Doon, and one north of Scotts Valley, sheriff's Sgt. Mark Yanez said.
Detectives serving the warrants Tuesday seized more than 100 pounds of marijuana buds, more than 400 marijuana plants, 17 guns - including eight AK-47 and five AR-15 assault rifles - and several high-capacity magazines, Yanez said.
The majority of the weapons were found in one of the homes in Santa Cruz, Yanez said.
He said investigators knew about the drugs, but, "We didn't know about the weapons until we got there."
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took possession of the weapons and is looking at possible federal charges for two of the suspects, brothers Cody Dumont, 35, and Garth Dumont, 29.
The marijuana buds seized from the homes are valued at more than $300,000. A boat valued at $40,000 was also seized because one of the suspects recently paid cash for it, and investigators believe he purchased the boat with money from marijuana sales, according to the sheriff's office.
The other three suspects arrested were Mikaela Smith, 35, Gary Gilholm, 30, and Naomi Marquez, 32. They were booked into county jail on suspicion of conspiracy, and possession for sale and cultivation of marijuana, according to the sheriff's office.
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