Large illegal cannabis bust in Half Moon Bay (Princeton)

Half Moon Bay Review/Clay Lambert, 2/2/12, "Authorities make large pot bust on coast".  "The San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force executed a pair of search warrants Wednesday night based on the tip of an informant, arresting a Half Moon Bay man and seizing than a $1 million worth of marijuana.

Just "gardening"!

San Mateo County Sheriff's Lt. Larry Schumaker said that 37-year-old Lask Tsatsaronis of Half Moon Bay was arrested and charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, theft of utilities and possession of stolen property. Members of the multi-agency task force searched a warehouse in the 200 block of Yale Avenue in Princeton and a home at the 600 block of Marsailles Way in Half Moon Bay.

The search of the Princeton location turned up more than 1,500 marijuana plants, approximately 17 pounds of processed pot and two 9mm fully automatic Uzi submachine guns, each equipped with silencers and high-capacity magazines, according to a release from the task force. The search of the Half Moon Bay home revealed two pounds of marijuana, two ounces of concentrated cannabis and six handguns, one of which was reported stolen in Suisun City.

The street value of all the cannabis was well in excess of $1.2 million, according to the task force.  Bail was set at $15,000 and Tsatsaronis has already been released. His arraignment is set for March 5 in the San Mateo County Northern Superior Court. Commander Marc Alcantera of the Narcotics Task Force said local authorities had had no previous contact with Tsatsaronis and that authorities are actively seeking associates in the drug operation. "It came together relatively quickly," Alcantera said. "It took less than a month, but it is certainly not going to stop here."

Posted by Kathy Meeh