From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Friday, August 26, 2016 at about 9 a.m. Humboldt County Deputy Sheriffs, a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) agent, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (F&W) officers, members of the California State Water Board (CSWB), and a member of the Humboldt County Code Enforcement (HCCE) served a search warrant on two parcels located off Hwy 36 near Dinsmore, California.

Upon service of the search warrant deputies detained three individuals. The first individual was identified as 32 year old Sean Christopher Appelbaum. The second individual was identified as 18 year old Shane Jordan Edwards. The third individual was not associated with the marijuana grow and released on scene. Appelbaum and Edwards could not provide deputies with legal documentation supporting their marijuana grows, nor were they able to provide documentation of being in the process of registering their marijuana grow with the County of Humboldt’s Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance.

Deputies searched both parcels and located a total of 9,525 green growing marijuana plants, 11 firearms, 375 grams of Butane Honey Oil, 148 grams of Psilocybin Mushrooms, 172 lbs of marijuana shake, 73.1 lbs of processed marijuana bud, indicia of marijuana sales, and ammunition.

Deputies also located two man made water storage ponds each with a water pump. The ponds were made of plastic tarp and supported by rocks, downed trees, and rope. F&W, CSWB, and HCCE observed extensive environmental damage while examining the property.
Appelbaum and Edwards were taken to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. Appelbaum was booked for cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, manufacturing a controlled substance, conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm while in commission of another felony, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. Edwards was booked for the cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of concentrated cannabis, manufacturing a controlled substance, conspiracy, possession of a firearm while in commission of another felony, possession of a non-serialized firearm, possession of a firearm with multi-burst trigger device, and possession of an assault weapon. Each had their bail set at $500,000.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.