Kings County Sheriff's Department locates and eradicates illegal marijuana grows

During this period, the department identified several locations throughout the county and obtained search warrants for the suspected marijuana locations.

The county's law enforcement officers arrested 20 suspects on multiple charges. Several felony arrests and subsequent charges included possession of the stolen property, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, assaulting a peace officer, misdemeanor charges related to the cultivation of marijuana, sales of marijuana, resisting arrest and Kings County ordinance violations.

Officials seized three firearms, including one illegal assault rifle, one short-barreled shotgun, and one stolen shotgun along with six high-capacity magazines.

The total number of marijuana plants

Deputies seized approximately 5,500 marijuana plants during these operations, with an approximate street value of $6,000,000. The seized marijuana weighed over four tons.

The KCSO Rural Crime Unit is asking that Kings County residents contact the sheriff's department if they have information regarding illegal marijuana grows. Help from our community is how local law enforcement identifies and removes unlawful grows. Please call the department at 559-852-2795 and ask to speak to a Rural Crime Detective.