# 8 People Arrested In Massive Peninsula Pot Bust



## FruityBud (Oct 2, 2008)

A nine-month investigation into illegal marijuana growing operations in San Mateo County ended Tuesday with the arrest of eight suspects charged with growing millions of dollars worth of marijuana using stolen electricity valued at nearly as much as the drugs.

A San Bruno police officer apparently provided the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force with an investigative lead in January that started the investigation into the indoor marijuana growing operation, task force officials said.

After nine months of investigation, search warrants were served Tuesday at three houses in San Bruno, two in South San Francisco, one in Pacifica, two in Daly City and one in unincorporated Broadmoor.

More than 100 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies assisted in serving the warrants early Tuesday morning, the narcotics task force reported.

Investigators found indoor growing operations at six of the locationseach with "sophisticated" irrigation, ventilation and lighting systems.

Task force Commander Marc Alcantara said the team knew six of the houses contained grow operations and the other three, which were occupied, were associated with the operations. The team searched the three homes without marijuana plants looking for additional evidence, Alcantara said.

In addition to 2,500 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $2.7 million, electrical boxes were found at each growing site that allowed suspects to allegedly steal electricity from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. without detection.

The stolen electricity has been valued at up to $500,000.

San Bruno residents Daniel Wisegarver, 39, Hanh Truong, 44, Jennifer Tsan, 26, and Tuan Van Dang, 43, were arrested and are each being held on $2.5 million bail.

San Francisco resident Kam U, 46, and South San Francisco residents Francisco Hernandez-Gomez, 37, and Jacinto Jimenez, 30, are each being held on $500,000 bail.

South San Francisco resident Dut Nguyen, 36, is being held on no-bail status because of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold, according to investigators.

The suspects each face various charges including cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, theft of utilities over $400, conspiracy and maintaining houses for narcotics sales.

The suspects are scheduled to appear in San Mateo County Superior Court on Thursday afternoon for arraignment, narcotics task force officials said.

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