EMERGING SCANDAL, with more fairly prominent Mendocino-area people also
about to be rounded up. Arrested last week by a task force raid team led
by the DEA but including U.S. Marshals and back-up from the Mendocino
County Sheriff's Department were John Paul McMillan, no relation to the
famous drug guy of yesteryear who built that huge house at the mouth of
Big River. At the time, McMillan Sr. ran Catch-A-Canoe. Also arrested was
Erin Keller, McMillan's wife. She maintains a gift shop at the MacCallam
House and, at one time, was part owner of the Caspar Inn. Jeff Wall was
among the arrested. And Hank McCusker and Rick Smith were also taken into
custody. They've all been held in federal custody in Alameda County since
Thursday, November 8th. Several of the accused own property allegedly
purchased with drug money. Our sources say they all graduated from
Mendocino High School in the 1980s and are all in their forties.
THE ARRESTS of the Mendocino people began with a huge DEA bust in Kansas
involving 35 people charged with 101 federal counts of dealing drugs,
transporting, trafficking, money laundering — not just pot but cocaine and
other drugs. The Kansas end of the business goes to trial next year. The
Kansas people apparently gave up the names of the Mendo people, although
press accounts of the Kansas raid indicate that the feds had been watching
the operation for years, since 2005, and, by 2012, probably had a clear
idea of who was involved on the Mendocino end and how all the money was
being laundered. One transaction is said to have involved more than a ton
of pot that sold for 16.9 million dollars.
THE FEDS are calling it an organized crime ring and are poised to take
down more Mendocino-area people.
IT'S ALL HUSH-HUSH so far because, it seems, the feds don't want to alert
those Coasties still to be arrested, but we can be sure a lot of people in
the fog belt aren't sleeping much this last week. The cops are saying some
of the arrested are looking at very long sentences.
A DRUG GUY called Monday to say that he couldn't find a turkey bag anywhere in Ukiah. He was told at Friedman's that they'd sold all 10,000 of their recent consignment which, at a pound of dope per bag at $2,000 a pound, say, is serious money flying outtahere from that one store alone. Seal-A-Meals were also going fast, our informant said.
EARTHQUAKE TREMOR this morning, Tuesday the 13th, rolled Boonville at 5:40am. The U.S. Geological Survey said the jolt measured 3.4 on the Richter Scale and was centered about nine miles southeast of Ukiah and nine miles west of Lakeport, putting it in the general area of Cow Mountain.
GOVERNOR BROWN announced Tuesday that Major General Anthony L. Jackson, USMC (Ret.) has been appointed director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. “Major General Jackson brings more than 30 years of problem-solving and management experience to Parks, serving most recently as the Commanding General of Marine bases across the Southwestern U.S. and tens of thousands of troops and civilians,” said Governor Brown. “Under Major General Jackson’s leadership, I am confident that the stewardship of California’s beaches, forests, estuaries, dunes and wetlands is in good hands and that the confidence and trust of Californians in our Parks Department will be restored.” Major General Jackson, 63, of Fallbrook, recently retired from the US Marine Corps after 36 years of service. Prior to his retirement, Jackson served as the Commanding General, Marine Corps, Installations West. In this role, he was responsible for the command and control of Marine Corps installations in the Southwestern US, including oversight of administration, fiscal, military, construction and energy programs and the welfare of 13,000 employees and more than 60,000 Marines and sailors. As Commanding General, Jackson has worked on a wide variety of state and federal legislative issues, including improving energy efficiency and expanding renewable energy. He routinely met with and briefed state and federal legislative leaders and elected officials on issues such as renewable energy generation, fire suppression, state parks and off-highway vehicle use. Jackson also served as Marine Corps representative and the co-chair of the Western Regional Council tasked with coordinating renewable energy development within the Department of Defense and with other stakeholders, including state and local governments. He has also served as a military advisor on national security and renewable energy for the Rockefeller Family Fund and Pew Charitable Trusts. “Major General Jackson is the right leader for the right time for the Department of Parks and Recreation. He has considerable skills and experience and a dedication to public service,” said California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird. “In addition to his duties as commanding general, he has direct experience protecting cultural resources on sensitive US Government land, directing environmental scientists, and integrating military and civilian personnel.” The position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $150,112. Jackson is registered decline-to-state. (CA Press Release)
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