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Local officer busted in pot farm raid

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Sonoma Valley Sun

A community services officer with the Sonoma Police Department is out on bail and on paid administrative leave a week after a series of raids on a “large scale” indoor pot-growing operation.

Diaz, 34, was one 10 people arrested by a drug task force that shut down four growing houses in the county and confiscated 92 pounds of street-ready weed.

He faces multiple felony charges, including having a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Unlike sworn officers, a CSO is not issued a gun. The job entails parking enforcement, administrative duties and non-emergency contact with the public.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how profoundly disappointed I am,” said Sonoma Police Chief Brett Sackett. “I’m frustrated that this might tarnish the reputation we’ve earned serving the city.”

Sackett said the bilingual Diaz had been a good employee since joining the local force, and had an easy rapport with community members. “People seemed to respond to him.”

Sackett said Diaz is being transferred to the Sheriff’s Department so that the city of Sonoma will not pay his salary during his leave.

Eight law agencies were part of the investigation leading to the Dec. 9 raids. Warrants were served in eight different locations, four of which – two each in Sebastopol and Santa Rose – were full-scale grow houses.

“It was a large operation, but not uncommon” said Sgt. Bill Smith. “It’s very lucrative.”

Seized were 835 marijuana plants, about 92 pounds of processed, ready-to-sell marijuana, eight firearms (two were assault weapons) and over $300,000 assets.

Diaz was arrested at a grow house in Santa Rosa. Smith said the task force is “Not sure if he lived there, or was just babysitting the marijuana, guarding and feeding the plants.”

Diaz made his $20,000 bail the same day.

Leading up to the raid, “We knew he was a CSO, so we were maybe a bit more secretive internally. You never know who might know who.”

Smith confirmed that Diaz did not brandish a gun during the bust. But because the warrant charges were felonies, a gun found anywhere in the house would merit the firearm charge.

The investigation continues as detectives sift through bank statements, utility bills and other leads to determine “the hierarchy of the organization,” Smith said. Additional charges are expected.

“Cases like this tend to bleed out into other investigations,” he said.



One thought on “Local officer busted in pot farm raid

  1. One bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch Chief…Weed em out and keep em clean. We appreciate your service.

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