Narcotics detectives with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department have arrested two suspects after investigations into suspected illegal marijuana cultivators and marijuana traffickers operating through Craigslist within Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria.
The first suspect, Matthew Schneider, 28, of Santa Barbara is accused of selling active marijuana “clone” plants through a Craigslist posting.
A marijuana “clone” plant is a rooted clipping that is taken from a “mother” or female cannabis plant that typically exhibits qualities such as fast growth, high potency and mold/pest resistance. Typically, multiple clippings are removed from the “mother” plant and the grower places the clippings into a rooting system and begins to grow them. The growing continues until a person harvests the “clones,” which have become full plants and yield marijuana “buds.”
During the investigation, detectives gathered enough evidence to arrest Schneider on March 23 and serve a search warrant at his residence in the 200 block of El Sueno Road in Santa Barbara, where they recovered more than 100 active marijuana plants, 2 pounds of processed marijuana and more than $8,000 in cash.
Information at the residence indicated Schneider had another residence in Mendocino County. A search warrant was issued and served at that residence, in the 27000 block of Maize Drive in Willits, by the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team. More than 65 active marijuana plants and $1,500 in cash were seized at that location.
Schneider was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales, and cultivation of marijuana. Bail was set at $20,000.
On Tuesday, detectives contacted the second suspect, Barry Herron, 29, of Carpinteria, accused of selling active marijuana “clone’ plants on Craigslist.
Herron was arrested and a search warrant was served at his residence in the 1300 block of Linhere Street in Carpinteria. Detectives recovered more than 45 active marijuana plants and other items indicative to the cultivation and illegal sales of marijuana.
Herron was booked on charges of transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales and cultivation of marijuana. Bail was set at $20,000.
— Drew Sugars is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.