February 8, 2016 - FRESNO, Calif. — Juan Pedro Jimenez, 40, of Mexico, was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute, manufacturing, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana in connection with a large-scale cultivation operation on Chowchilla Mountain in Mariposa County in the Sierra National Forest in Mariposa County, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Jimenez was found at the cultivation site on public land in July. Agents removed 6,919 marijuana plants from the site and found fertilizer, trash, water lines, and propane tanks. The cultivation activities caused extensive damage to the land and natural resources. Native trees and plants were cut down and steep hillsides were terraced to plant the marijuana. Water was diverted from a nearby creek to irrigate the plants. Jimenez pleaded guilty on November 18, 2015.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.
Source: DOJ
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6,919 Marijuana Plants Eradicated in Mariposa County Near Signal Peak