November 30, 2009
RIO DELL RESIDENT SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON FOR MARIJUANA CULTIVATING OPERATION
Forfeited real property and $945,000 Promissory Note
OAKLAND, Calif. – Jordan Pyhtila was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for maintaining a place to manufacture marijuana and conspiracy to launder money, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced.
The defendant pleaded guilty on May 27, 2009. In pleading guilty, Pyhtila, 29, of Rio Dell, Calif., admitted that he purchased and maintained property located in Humboldt County for the purpose of cultivating marijuana. Approximately 4,677 marijuana plants, amounting to approximately 467 kilograms of marijuana, were grown on this property.
According to the plea agreement, from 1999 through September 2008, Pyhtila also purchased or maintained pieces of property for the purpose of allowing others to manufacture marijuana. The defendant purchased real estate on which marijuana was cultivated, and financed real estate purchases by others who intended to use the land to cultivate marijuana. Pyhtila also financed many of the marijuana growing operations by providing funding for equipment, building materials, marijuana clones, fertilizer, wages for laborers and other expenses. The defendant received a portion of the profits from the sale of marijuana grown on these properties.
The plea agreement also states that, from 1999 through September 2008, Pyhtila agreed to use the net profits from marijuana cultivation to fund the operations of his business, J&J Earthmoving, and to purchase numerous properties throughout Northern California. The purchases of the properties were made to conceal the net profits earned from financing the cultivation of marijuana. Nominee owners were used to hide the true ownership interest in these properties.
As part of the plea agreement, Pyhtila agreed to forfeit interest in real property and his interest in a promissory note, in the amount of $945,000, that was obtained from the sale of a subdivision that he was developing in Rio Dell.
Pyhtila was charged on March 18, 2009, with one count of maintaining a place to manufacture marijuana in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 856(a)(2) and one count of conspiracy to launder money in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). He pleaded guilty to both counts.
Phytila’s co-defendant. Jessie Jeffries, of Garberville, Calif., was sentenced on October 28, 2009 to six years in prison on the same charges.
Assistant United States Attorney Kirstin Ault, is the attorney prosecuting the case, with the assistance of legal technician Sheryl Castillo. The prosecution is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Task Force.
Contact Info
- FAY ARFA, A Law Corporation
10100 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Toll-Free 800-984-8422
Phone: 310-841-6805
Fax: 310-841-0817
Email: info@bestdefender.com
[ Back to top ]
