File photo.


PREVIOUSLY:

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Last week, a Humboldt County Superior Court judge dismissed some human trafficking charges levied against a man accused of stranding a worker on a remote Bridgeville cannabis farm without pay or food.

The court found there wasn’t enough evidence that two alleged victims were trafficked during a preliminary hearing.

Still, the court found enough evidence to continue with criminal proceedings against 45-year-old Georgi Tonev on charges of trafficking one John Doe, according to court records.

He was also held to answer by Judge Kelly Neel on other charges; including felony theft of wages, possessing more than 6 marijuana plants and possession of marijuana for sale, according to court minutes. She found sufficient evidence for the District Attorney’s office to file three counts of theft of wages for the alleged victims.

Tonev has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and was released on bail this week after it was reduced to $45,000. According to the conditions of release, Tonev must stay 100 yards away from and not contact alleged victims.

The court did not find enough evidence to hold Tonev to answer for charges for two of the alleged victims, who previously worked for him.

“I really think that these John Does preyed against my client’s generosity. He is an immigrant himself, and had a soft spot for people that come to this country and try to make a better life,” alleged Andrea Sullivan, Tonev’s attorney, when speaking to the Outpost Friday.

She said Tolev is a U.S. citizen who has lived in the country for 25 years, hailing from Bulgaria.

Sullivan argued against the accusations of human trafficking, comparing the nature of working on cannabis farms to work in other remote areas, like fishermen at sea or workers on oil rigs.

“For all three John Does, there is absolutely no allegations that he used any threats — no threats of physical assault, no implied threats of physical violence,” she emphasized.

“They’re not saying that they were being threatened if they didn’t work,” she said.

A human trafficking conviction comes with a maximum sentence of 12 years.

According to the initial complaint, Tonev is accused of withholding more than $2,350 in wages for two employees. His attorney similarly contested the wage theft allegations.

Tonev was arrested in an elaborate effort following a tip from the Mexican consulate. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team served a search warrant on a remote property northeast of Bridgeville using a swift water rescue team to arrest Tonev and locate the alleged victim.

An arraignment on information for the case is set for April 17.