Bruce Anderson of the Anderson Valley Advertiser send along this dispatch from Mendoland for the benefit of LoCO readers.

A FEDERAL TASK FORCE raided the Potter Valley family property of Mendocino County Under-Sheriff Randy Johnson last Thursday (October 11th). The raid team included DEA, FBI and IRS agents who are said to have confiscated some 500 marijuana plants. 

THE FEDS seal their search warrants and, in this case, only grudgingly admitted they’d been in the Potter Valley area where the raid took place not far from Highway 20. It has been clear for some time that the feds have operated independently of local law enforcement, tacit admission that the feds don’t trust the locals to keep raid targets secret. A federal attorney warned the Mendo Board of Supervisors that local officials would be held personally liable if Mendocino County proceeded with a plan to essentially license backyard grows for as many as 99 plants. The Mendocino limit presently is 25 plants per parcel.

THE JOHNSON FAMILY’S property is an old resort they’ve converted to rentals with individual cabins rented to persons with medical marijuana cards. Under-Sheriff Johnson’s father and brother live on the premises while Johnson himself lives on an adjacent parcel. The property is owned by Johnson’s father. 

CAPTAIN JOHNSON has long been viewed as pot-friendly. He was responsible for Mendocino County’s aborted medical marijuana permit program and even testified for men arrested in Sonoma County for transporting medicinal marijuana from Mendocino County to dispensaries in the Bay Area. Like most Mendocino County officials, Johnson supports decriminalization strategies which would generate some income for the County from its number one export crop.

SHERIFF TOM ALLMAN said Monday that he would be surprised if Captain Johnson knew that marijuana was being grown next door to Johnson’s Potter Valley home. 

Additional info from the Pee-Dee. (H/t LoCO superfriend “Lodgegoat”)