The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office arrested four people
around noon Thursday after discovering at least 6,400 marijuana
plants at an illegal indoor operation located at a former
landscaping design and construction yard near the intersection of
Buena Vista Avenue and No Name Uno.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office arrested four people around noon Thursday after discovering at least 6,400 marijuana plants at an illegal indoor operation located at a former landscaping design and construction yard near the intersection of Buena Vista Avenue and No Name Uno.
All four suspects were released Thursday on bail of between $10,000 and $20,000 shortly after being arrested.
Sgt. Rick Sung estimated the bust to be worth more than $9 million. He said not all of the plants were fully mature and ready for sale.
“For an indoor grow, I’ll say that is a very rare case,” Sung said about the monetary value of the operation. An outdoor grow, however, is often much larger and worth much more, he said.
Deputies received a report of a possible indoor marijuana operation Thursday and went to the vacated business site to investigate. When they arrived, deputies were “able to see marijuana plants from the windows,” Sung said.
“Standing out in the street, you could smell (the marijuana),” he said.
The site of the indoor operation at 675 Buena Vista Road is approximately the size of a football field. A large storage building lines the east side of the property and several smaller buildings go along the west side. The property’s yard is overgrown with weeds, though a Greenlife sign is visible from the street near No Name Uno.
Greenlife no longer owns or operates from the Gilroy branch. According to a Greenlife employee in San Jose, it’s been owned by Christiano Trust since Aug. 10.
How the suspects gained access to the site and how it relates to Christiano Trust =is still under investigation, Sung said.
Suspects Kelly Schaefer, 48, of San Jose and Patrick Britt, 46, of San Jose each posted $20,000 bail Thursday and were charged with possession to sell, conspiracy, illegal cultivation of marijuana and unlawful transportation of illegal substances.
Sheriff’s deputies obtained a search warrant following the bust in Gilroy for a residence Schaefer and Britt share in San Jose. They discovered more marijuana that was ready to sell. The suspects were not home when deputies searched the property.
Two more suspects Misty Santos, 43, of San Jose, and Jeffrey Trueblood, 42, of Campbell, were charged with illegal cultivation and conspiracy. Santos was also charged with possession to sell an illegal substance. Both posted $10,000 bail and were released Thursday.
If the District Attorney’s office decides to charge the suspects, Schaefer, Britt and Trueblood will be arraigned at 9 a.m. Oct. 1.
Santos’ hearing is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 30. The arraignments are tentative pending the D.A.’s office’s decision.
