A day full of HCSO press releases

Marijuana Eradication on Yurok Tribal Land   

 From 07-21-2014 to 07-24-2014, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs, California Department of Justice, California Fish and Wildlife Service, Marin County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, Yurok Police Department and Eureka Police Department in eradicating marijuana grows on Yurok Tribal Land and adjacent properties.  The 35 officers served twenty Humboldt County Superior Court Search Warrants and nine Tribal Court search warrants during the four days. A total of 12,898 marijuana plants, over 300 pounds of processed marijuana and seven firearms were seized. Officers located extensive environmental damage at several search warrant locations, along with California Fish and Wildlife violations.  No arrests were made, however several suspects have been identified and arrest warrants will be requested.

Gunshot victims
 
On 07-26-2014, at approximately 12:30 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Gerald Phelps Community Hospital regarding a gunshot victim being treated in the emergency room. When the investigating deputy arrived he met with the 21 year old male victim, who was from Bremen, Georgia. The victim told the deputy he came to Humboldt County to visit with a friend , Robert , who is also from Georgia. The victim had been in Humboldt County about three weeks and was camping in the hills outside of Garberville.

The victim told the deputy he was with his friend, two other adult males and an adult female at a campsite on 07-25-2014.  About dusk the two unknown adult males began to argue. The victim stepped in between to two males to break up the fight, and the victim heard a gunshot. The victim ran off into the woods and then noticed he was bleeding from his foot.  The victim walked through the forest for hours before being picked up by four unknown people in a white Toyota truck, who gave him a ride to the hospital. The victim told the deputy he had no idea who shot him, he did not know where the campsite was at and did not see any weapons.

The case is currently under investigation, the victim will recover from his injury. Deputies are currently attempting to locate Robert.

Drug Arrest

On 07-25-2014, at approximately 9:30 p.m. a Deputy assigned to the City of Blue Lake, stopped a 1992 Red Chevy Pickup truck for speeding on Greenwood Road, Blue Lake. The truck yielded to the deputy at Blue Lake Casino Play Station. When the deputy contacted the driver, he identified himself as John Walter Wilson, 56 years old from McKinleyville. Wilson told the deputy he was on active State Parole. The passenger in the vehicle was identified as Michael Paul Gulley, 54 years old, also from McKinleyville.  The deputy learned from Sheriff’s Office dispatch that Gulley was on probation with a search clause.

 A California Highway Patrol Officer arrived and assisted the deputy with searching Wilson and Gulley. The deputy located approximately 9 grams of suspected methamphetamine and less than an ounce of marijuana in Wilson’s possession. The deputy also located a red cylindrical item that was two inches in diameter and six inches long with an approximate three inch long fuse behind the drivers seat. The deputy contacted a Sheriff’s Office Bomb technician and learned the item was a Firequick Flare. The flares are used by the fire service to start backfires and the sales of the flares are restricted to fire agencies. The flares shoot out sparks.

The deputy located drug paraphernalia consisting of glass smoking pipes in Gulley’s possession. Wilson and Gulley were arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where they were booked. 

Wilson was booked on charges of possession of illicit drugs, possession of fireworks without a permit and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. He is being held without bail. Gulley was booked on charges of violation of probation and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $5,000.00.

Heroin and illegal fireworks

On 07-26-2014, at approximately 9:51 p.m. the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received multiple (at least 17) 911 calls regarding loud explosions coming from the area of Nancy Court, Eureka. The explosions were loud enough that the Sheriff’s Dispatch Center in Eureka, approximately three miles away heard the explosions.

When deputies and Humboldt Bay Fire personnel arrived in the area they began speaking with witnesses who directed them to a residence located at 854 Nancy Court, Eureka. When the deputies were approaching the home, a 22 year old male, later identified as Matthew Robert Williams, from Eureka exited the residence. They detained Williams and told them what they were investigating. A second male exited the residence and was identified as Bijan Taherikermani, 53 years old.  As deputies spoke with Taherikermani they saw he had a plastic bag protruding from his pocket. The bag was removed from Taherikermani’s pocket, and deputies saw it contained heroin. It was later weighed and was approximately three grams.

The deputies located three metal mortar tubes in front of the residence. Two of the tubes were still standing upright in the grassy area, near the driveway. When the deputies questioned Williams and Taherikermani, they admitted to shooting off three, four and five inch mortars in front of the home. 

Deputies learned Matthew Williams was on formal and summary probation, with a search clause. Deputies searched a 2002 Ford Sport utility vehicle that Matthew had the key for in his hand when the deputies arrived. In the sport utility vehicle, deputies located several bags with heroin in them, with a total weight of approximately 100 grams, and a live .40 caliber bullet.

Williams was arrested for violation of probation, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of illegal fireworks and possession of live ammunition by a prohibited person.  He was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked. Williams bail was set at $50,000.00.

Taherikermani was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of illegal fireworks. He was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional facility and booked; his bail was set at $25,000.00