3 Plead Innocent in Marijuana Farm Case
Three people accused of acting as a sales team for a network of underground marijuana farms in the Antelope Valley and Arizona pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony charges.
Michael Kumar, 31; Gabriel Alfred, 29; and Elizabeth Haskell, 26, were charged with one count each of conspiracy to sell marijuana and conspiracy to possess marijuana for sale. They were arrested in connection with the widening investigation into the sophisticated farms uncovered in the past month by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents.
In addition, Haskell and Kumar were charged with one count each of possession of marijuana for sale.
The three were arrested Nov. 30 in Castaic after Kumar allegedly attempted to buy 30 pounds of marijuana for $105,000 from undercover sheriff’s deputies.
Authorities have said they suspect Kumar of being the top distributor of marijuana grown in the high-tech farms allegedly built and operated by a group of construction contractors. He is in jail in lieu of $1-million bail.
Alfred and Haskell are free on $75,000 and $50,000 bail, respectively.
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