FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment yesterday against Crescencio Pastor Carmona Venegas, 32, of San Diego, charging him with cultivation of marijuana and being an alien in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, a clandestine marijuana grow site on U.S. Forest Service land in the Stevenson Creek area of Madera County was observed from the air in early September 2017. On Sept. 13, 2017, USFS officers and other law enforcement personnel hiked into the grow site and apprehended Venegas. Officers found 2,052 live marijuana plants, a.22 caliber rifle, a.22 caliber handgun, and ammunition in the grow site. Venegas is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service. Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Venegas faces a mandatory prison term of 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
