HESPERIA – San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies, conducting a sex offender registration check on Thursday afternoon, discovered evidence of a THC extraction lab.
One man was taken into custody after the sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team was called in for assistance at 17896 Main St., a main thoroughfare in Hesperia.
Joseph Robert Collins, 34, of Hesperia, was the man arrested. Charges are pending for three others – Lewis DePaoli, 35, Toni Reeder, 34, and Lucas King, 33, all residents of Hesperia.
The county District Attorney will review possible criminal charges against those three, possibly to be served at a later time, according to law enforcement officials.
A THC extraction lab is a process used to convert marijuana into a liquid substance. Considered extremely dangerous due to the potential for explosion and fire during the extraction process, the chemical process is a violation of the state’s health and safety code.
Collins was arrested without incident, booked into the High Desert Detention center for manufacturing a controlled substance.
Investigators discovered over 10 pounds of marijuana plant material used in the extraction process, along with several forms of concentrated marijuana known as “wax” or “dabs”, along with hash oil also present.
The suspects were also cultivating marijuana at one time, said law enforcement, but no plants were discovered during the search.
Deputies also confiscated several rifles, handguns and a shotgun that were located during the search. Additional charges may be made at a later time, according to law enforcement.
Collins had a scheduled court date on Monday, March 7, in Victorville Superior Court with bail set at $500,000.
No information was given concerning the original visit to the Main St. resident regarding a sex offender registry check, nor was the individual’s name disclosed.
