From : Sgt. Seth Clark
Subject: Press Release, Recent Saturation Patrol Nets 17 Felony Arrests
Between Thursday, August 22nd, 2013, and Sunday, August 25th, 2013, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office conducted a saturation patrol in various locations in the northern half of Mono County. The purpose of the enforcement was to combat people trafficking illegal narcotics through and to our communities. With the assistance of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Bishop Police Department, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, and the Eldorado County Sheriff’s Office, the patrol was successful in netting 17 felony arrests. The above mentioned agencies supplied officers and drug sniffing dogs.
The following people were arrested and booked into the Mono County jail:
On Thursday, August 22nd, 2013, Michael Stefaun, age 44, and James Wilson, age 43, of San Diego, were arrested as a results of a traffic stop for possession of cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms.
On Friday, August 23rd, 2013, Todd Buckley, age 30, and Kyle Walker, also age 30, both from Bellingham Washington, were arrested as a result from a traffic stop for possession of psilocybin mushrooms.
On Friday, August 23rd 2013, Tracy Duncan, age 42, from McMinnville Oregon, was arrested for possession of a methamphetamine pipe and a used syringe.
(No picture available)
On Saturday, August 24th, 2013, Martin Robertaccio, Curtis Wood, Jeremiah Mezzel, and Luke Mezzei from Los Angeles County were arrested as a result from a traffic stop for possession of cocaine, ecstasy, MDMA, LSD, and marijuana.
On Saturday, August 24th, 2013, Paul Neadow, age 35, of Wilton Manor Florida, and Bret Gerber, age 47, of San Diego were arrested on a traffic stop for possession of Mdma, psilocybin mushrooms, GHB, and ecstasy.
On Saturday, August 24th, 2013, San Diego residents Kristen Brewer, age 32, and Daniel Jacob, age 55, were arrested when deputies located methamphetamine and marijuana inside their vehicle.
(No pictures available)
On Saturday, August 24th, 2013, Scott Kampmeyer, age 41, of Sherman Oaks, was arrested for transporting LSD, ecstasy, marijuana, and cocaine.
On Sunday, August 25th, 2013, Jonathan Blaising, age 26, was arrested for possession of Adderall and Xanax without a prescription.
All cases have been submitted to the Mono County District Attorney’s office for filing.
Written and prepared by:
Sergeant Seth Clark
Mono County Sheriff’s Department
P.O. Box 616
Bridgeport, CA 93517
(760) 932-7549
I’m avoiding Mono County and haven’t had a post make it to this blog in a week.
I think the Eastern Sierra has thrown the 1st amendment out the window with the 4th and the 5th.
To all of the people of mono effected by the craziness going on I am truly sorry and sympathetic. To the rest bullying people on the highway and businesses in your community. Well January will be a new year for sure. Things will go back to the way they were.… Read more »
I’ll vote for the next candidate that declares the war on drugs is over. Are people really so blind not to see that the declared war on drugs is really war declared on our own people? It’s not right. Treat it like alcohol and cut the bull. I haven’t done… Read more »
Any business owners not up in arms about the significant amount of cash and repeat visits we could get from Burning Man is grossly misinformed. Do people do drugs at Burning Man? Sure! Like some of the richest people in the world. People like the CEOs of Google and Facebook:… Read more »
Or heaven forbid we have art or culture come through here!
Officer, arrest those wealthy CEOs and artists, before they inspire our children! Oh won’t somebody please think of the children!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/burning-man-art_n_3932349.html
the wealthy you keep referring to dont drive…they fly a chopper to Reno, if they even know what burned ou man is……usually they are to concerend w/ making money.. just saying
Which would be true, except my personal experience to the contrary. If you haven’t been, I don’t think you really know what you are talking about.
Also, I assume anyone chartering a helicopter to Reno has a good idea of where he is going and it probably isn’t to the bright lights of the biggest little city in the world.
Brandon, How nice that you “personally” know some Mono County citizens. I do too. All but one of them don’t care if the burners come through here or not. But really – people were breaking the law, they got caught and then they whine about how “wronged” they were. It… Read more »
It’s a good thing where “breaking the law” doesn’t mean what it use to, people today are aware how the “law” sometimes is behind in aligning with emerging information and superior idea’s that might question the foundation of it’s identity… I mean when certain types of marriage between two humans… Read more »
Brandon…..Let’s not get carried away here….thinking and stating as if BM tourists through these counties have a HUGE impact on the areas economy…actually little more than an area they drive through getting from point A to point B…and let’s face it,many doing so while driving impaired and/or large amounts of… Read more »
Anyone who doesn’t think the cops here are a little zealous needs to get out of the valley more often – because they are. The fact that business owners are saying Burning Who? only indicates that they don’t even realize the opportunity being missed (um, like the potential to capture… Read more »
BM Economy……Truth is….when most of us think of Burning Man,it’s not all these CEO’s and millionaires coming up from L.A. and through the Owens Valley and Mono County ready,willing and able to spend their millions in our little towns here…The picture most of us see is….well,the pictures we see of… Read more »
I don’t dispute that crime an unfortunate externality of the event. Frankly, it would be miracle if there were zero crimes statistics associated with a spontaneous city of 60,000 people on drugs in the middle of nowhere that don’t subscribe to the rules of civilization we all agree to when… Read more »
Wayne…from what I’ve seen (photo’s and video) and heard, the guys are not putting date rape drugs into the GIRLS drinks…if you get my drift.
You hit the nail on the head Wayne….that’s the problem exactly….burners are coming through the area knowing they need to follow the law exactly. They drive the speed limit, have all their proper lights working, don’t have tinted windows etc etc etc., YET, they get pulled over anyway. That is… Read more »
@Sugar Magnolia – Exactly on point, thank you. And then through these targeted operations, we have people actively campaigning against visiting our area. It’s an anti-marketing campaign. Yes, our business should be concerned. As a quick and final follow-up, my back of the napkin calculation is as follows: If 10%… Read more »
Mono county local it doesn’t sound like you own a motel , gas station or grocery store along 395. Yeah who cares about a few thousand burners driving through mono. I personally know there are mono county citizens worried about this issue. Maybe not the overly intelligent ones like yourself… Read more »
Yes Brandon it is a fact, people know about these cop’s around here. Hey denying Local’s, just tell me where the saying “come on vacation, leave on probation” came from??? or at least admit it is a relevant saying here, seriously how can any of you deny how we have… Read more »
@Brandon – Do you have any links regarding the discussions between Burner’s talking about harassment you could share with us? Contrary to Mono County Local (and his use of the royal “we”), I do care a lot about our economy, and think the Law Enforcement around here did a tremendous… Read more »
Here ya go:
http://burners.me/2013/10/01/crime-shenanigans-2013/
http://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/2dif30/avoid_the_395/
https://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?f=286&t=70206&start=60
http://ronslog.typepad.com/ronslog/2014/04/mono-county-law-enforcement.html
This one is the best!
http://www.lawyersforburners.com/
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/tix/4615773248.html
Dear Brandon – Drive around Mono County. We don’t care. And try real hard to understand that for most people life does not revolve around a fake city in the middle of a dust choked hell hole. The businesses that are crying over burner’s pennies are not many and political… Read more »
Thank you Benett. I have posted this on several of your articles and I really feel bad for the businesses in Mono county. There is light at the end of the tunnel though. I truly love the whole area up there but I wont go up there due to these… Read more »
If “Brandon” “work(s) medical” at BM perhaps he can tell us why there are NO RAPE KITS on site – considering the increasing number of rapes and the quantity of drugs being transported to BM that are often used to incapacitate a potential target I think that is a question… Read more »
mcl,
Might also want to ask the increasing amounts of LEO why they have no rape kits at BM.
Well that’s easy Pedro, Law Enforcement is not out to serve the public anymore, they are out to uphold the LAW, why would they carry around a rape kit when they can carry around a fire arm, taser or all the other tools/toys they have on those vest’s.. Seriously folks,… Read more »
AP,
With 100 or so LEO at BM it seems we could afford a mobile medical unit. But you’re right, no economic benefit to the culture of fear in that.
Yeah seriously, I’m sure we could afford a mobile medical unit, I personally haven’t been able to experienced BM “yet”, I’ve heard a lot about, not enough to scare me away, but if the public can organize themselves, and the public services can prioritize around the people gathering at BM,… Read more »
Mono County residents have spoken on your overzealous sherrif and his tactics. There have been many matters brought to light about how he treats people including his own coworkers. Wrongfully firing Ingrid Braun (that worked out well for him since she is taking his job). This isnt just about burners.… Read more »
I already posted this same comment before. BK
Now that is a drag for the local economies now isn’t it…
The whole war on drugs is shameful and ruins more lives than drugs themselves. The US has more people in prison per capita than ANY country in the world, Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, you name it. Do we have worse criminals than any country? now Law Enforcement uses drugs arrests… Read more »
I was pulled over there two years ago. The sheriff came up and asked to see my pot card! Not my DL, not my registration, not my insurance, MY POT CARD! We told him we don’t smoke pot. He looked perplexed and walked away! I wasn’t even sure if we… Read more »
Wasn’t in the area during BM but last weekend very aggressive patrols on 395 north of Mammoth Lakes. Eyeballing us from opposite direction, immed turned around, flew up behind us, stayed next to us for a short distance going same speed, then moved on to the car in front of… Read more »
The news isnt mentioning all of the burners and citizens subject to searches w dogs that had absolutely nothing but were still forced to exit their vehicles and watch there belongings strewn everywhere. These are even Mono county citizens and vistors coming up to the mountain for the weekend. Not… Read more »
Taking a dog around a car and hitting on it (supposedly). Then entering the car without permission is a illegal search. I dont drive around with drugs in my car. I am hearing all about Mono county and how they do business. Illegal entry! You are telling me all these… Read more »
Brandon, there is nothing out of policy or unconstitutional about what Mono County is doing. If Law Enforcement stops you for a minor violation such as a a tail light out or no front license plate, it is a legally valid stop because it is an infraction that is listed… Read more »
Regardless of what the nut cases on the Supreme Court have ruled, it is unconstitutional and you know it. The 4th Amendment is not at all ambiguous despite the efforts of the despicable and disgusting conservatives on the court to undermine American freedom: The right of the people to be… Read more »
Despite what the loons on the Supreme Court have ruled, it is unconstitutional and you f***ing know it. The 4th Amendment is not at all ambiguous despite the efforts of the despicable and disgusting conservatives on the court to undermine American freedom: The right of the people to be secure… Read more »
The courts have ruled that drug dogs are inherently reliable if they are well trained and their ongoing training records show a good record of finds. Training records and successful finds are always important. Dogs don’t lie like people. If the dog alerts on a car and drugs are found,… Read more »
Well according the the public posting on this site Mono County’s K9’s hit on plenty of vehicles where no drugs were found.
If no drug dog is perfect it’s kinda bs they use them as reasons to violate citizens 4th amendment rights.
The problem here is that what the Supreme Court rules in increasingly out of step with public opinion. So your choice – change the Constitution or just suck it up – is a false one. Societal collapse occurs when people don’t bother to care about “changing the Constitution”. They just… Read more »
Word is out. Mono county sherrifs are doing unconstitutional searches with there new little K9. Time to roll through w a camera get a scent in the car w nothing in there to see how it goes down. Then internal affairs. Not mono count IF.
Meant to say – “You have NO “expectation of privacy”….”
I don’t do drugs but if I was stop in one of these “saturation patrols” I would be exercising my 1st amendment right while they were violating my 4th amendment rights. At which point I’m sure they would get even by planting dope in my car. You just can’t trust… Read more »
You’re complaining about law-enforcement when you should be complaining about the decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States. And your State Gov who wrote the laws. The cops just enforce the laws. They don’t make them. And the laws allow them to do what they did.
Actually, the cops don’t have to use K9 dogs at traffic stops. The cops are fully capable of using their own discretion to say “you know what, I think this is a violation of the 4th Amendment rights against unwarranted search and seizures, I want to live in a country… Read more »
Why do you think cops have K9’s? For kids to pet at show-and-tell? K9’s do three things – Chase and bite crooks, track people, and sniff out bombs and drugs. If they were violating her 4th amendment rights you would be able to sue them for using the dog to… Read more »
I am one of the above arrestees. I am staying anonymous to protect my case. First of all, the drugs listed next to my name in the above article are WRONG. There is a drug listed that I would NEVER have anything to do with, and most certainly did not… Read more »
So you did have drugs in your car is what you are saying. But the article lists them as the wrong ones. Why don’t you file a complaint with the media about their inaccurate reporting. Consent is not needed for a drug sniffing dog to walk around your car. If… Read more »
“This arrest will cost me thousands and maybe cost me my job.”
Maybe don’t do/transport drugs….just a thought.
Remember that you can still travel 395 through Bishop – just head out Highway 6 in Inyo before you hit Mono.
I don’t care for the cliche “it is what it is” but in this case it’s apt. You were caught with drugs, that is a crime. The circumstances etc of how you were caught are not relevant. Unfortunately I have felt like I’ve given up some some of my rights… Read more »
What has ruined more lives? The drugs, or the police enforcing drug laws on casual users? Answer that honestly. For every addict there are 10 casual users who partake a couple times a year to enhance their personal enjoyment of an evening or day.
Ok Moist, show me a casual meth user and I’ll show you a unicorn. If you choose to be in possession, you must be willing to accept the consequences. I congratulate the “casual” pot smokers for lobbying lawmakers to change the laws which would allow for the possession of small… Read more »
Jazzman, nobody with an ounce of critical thinking skills could look at the real world outcomes of American drug policy and not come to the conclusion that it is doing more harm than good. I agree with you that Meth is a particularly terrible drug, and casual use often leads… Read more »
Thanks for the article. [sarcasm] I thoroughly agree with Terry G and my travels have been for over a decade. Those hundreds of $$ spend on MY DRUGLESS drive up and down 395 will be forever spend elsewhere. Sorry Mom & Pop businesses – I really enjoy stopping at your… Read more »
I have been travelling up the 395 for almost a decade on my way to burning man, and I spend over $1000 on gasoline, food, and lodging. I have never been pulled over, and hardly ever even saw any law enforcement officers along the route in the past. This year… Read more »
“Sugar M”, not sure if you are high or still feeling the aftereffects of burningman, but after you clear up, do your research before you comment. And boy, you really touched the top of the list with your so called “professionals” ; athletic trainers, firemen, business owners, attorneys (obviously public… Read more »
Just for clarification, Burning Man draws all sorts of people: from billionaire techies, to yoga teachers, to politicians, to police, college students, to retirees (a retired four star general attended this year actually.) For further clarification GHB is also used recreationally by individuals for their own personal enjoyment. Yes, it… Read more »
It sure seems to me like a lot of people reading this site support and condone drug use… Having spent 30 years in law enforcement I have no use for those that think drug laws should be ignored… I have no problems with the police arresting people driving 395 or… Read more »
I don’t have a problem with them arresting people driving 395 who are in possession of drugs. It’s the way they went about it that could be an issue. I’d recommend the Sheriff read all 17 reports, I sure would like too. If they were legit searches so be it,… Read more »
You only need reasonable suspicion for the stop. You can search the drug dog around the exterior of any vehicle in a public place without cause.
Roy, I don’t think most people here condone drug use…it’s just that they DON”T condone bogus searches with (highly questionable) probable cause. I personally am disgusted by drugs and those that abuse them, but those in law enforcement have to play by the rules, don’t you think ? When you… Read more »
So Big Rick, why do you suspect that the cops conducted illegal searches??? Because the suspects said so? Do you have some kind of crystal ball that allows you to determine that the cops will lie on the stand pior to any trial that takes place? Rather than make things… Read more »
Roy, you have no use for us? Are you royalty? Oh, you’re a cop, people minding their own business carrying an illegal substance for their own personal usage means they are “bad guys” and therefore subhuman and no longer worthy of 4th Amendment protections.
quit whining all you dopers,keep your doped up carcasses off the highways
ferdinand….ANOTHER story on ANOTHER one today….looks like this time outside of Big Pine……..
…and you kids get off my lawn!
Fish in a barrel. And our Forth Amendment rights out the window.
http://www.flexyourrights.org/faqs/when-can-police-use-drug-dogs/
So if the dog smells pot and you can proove you can legally carry pot the search would be illegal.
Police can’t detain you while they wait for the K9
A good lawyer would have a field day with this
For those with the posts defending these guys actions driving HWY 395 hopped up on LSD,Xanax,coke,pot,mushrooms,etc….and thinking the Law Enforcement officers are “wrong” for pulling them over,impounding their vehicles,and hauling them off to jail…..maybe one day I’ll be helping to clean up the accident scene one of those types caused… Read more »
… And maybe one day, you’ll wake up.
wayne, look at the charges filed, they were not driving under the influence of these drugs, they were in possession of them. Big difference. If someone is showing evidence of impaired driving, I fully support LEO pulling them over. Most people who go to burning man are professionals that you… Read more »
I did email Mono Sheriff Ralph Obenberger regarding probable cause and whether the new inmates were held in Bridgeport. Here is his response: “I reviewed some of the reports (not all 17) and the ones I looked at the traffic stops were for basic traffic law violations (Speed, non-functioning lighting,… Read more »
Medical marijuana and the murkiness of “contraband” 17 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of medical marijuana for citizens with a doctor’s recommendation. As such, the Caballes “contraband” distinction fails in states such as California or Colorado where hundreds of thousands of people are legally authorized… Read more »
Amazing how many people (guilty and innocent) will consent to searches. Make law enforcement do their job. If they have cause they do not need your consent.
I’ll bet lunch they didn’t arrest a single attorney 🙂
My uncle was a judge on East Coast. Habitual drunk driver with judicial plates. Police would pull him over and drive his car for him. I lived in a town where the police were known for driving patrol cars drunk while in uniform. Had a practice of driving their buddies… Read more »
Not one mention of DUI, just possession with no quantities mentioned.
Hard core dopers turn into bank robbers whe they run out of money. Keep nailing them! Great operation!
Most hard core addicts turn into alcoholic panhandlers if they live long enough. Or turn to prescriptions. 22 million drug users and about 6 thousand bank robberies in US a year. That’s about 4 thousand drug users to rob one bank.
“Saturation Patrol” = police PROFILING by our local law enforcement agencies. It’s quiet curious how the dates of these arrests all occurred just as the gates of Burning Man were going to open for the week. I’m sure they were looking for people with trailers and bicycles with fur attached… Read more »
sickening. Most burners know not to drive through our cute little area with drugs because they know they will be pulled over and searched no matter how law abiding they are as they drive through town. I’m sick that our LEO think this type of profiling is ok. Protect and… Read more »
“Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” What would be good to know is how many stops were made that did not result in an arrest. How many travelers were profiled stopped in their pursuit of happiness told to get out of your car stand over there bring in the dogs.… Read more »
Usually, the probable cause for the traffic stop is included in the story. None here…? BTW, I didn’t think the Bridgeport (Hilton) had room for THAT many guests.
Tha Bridgeport watterloo doesn’t have that much Vacancy, Jack Colby and other Cons are already leasing those spaces 🙂
Next time, don’t come here at all.
Good work, cops and dogs.
In before all the hippies say legalize drugs because they are so good for you bla bla bla…. Good job targeting these dopers and getting them into jail where they belong. These soon to be felons have no value in our society. AND for the potheads, dont worry I dont… Read more »
Jake….With all due respect,don’t think it’s the old-time hippies saying to legalize drugs,and benefiting from all the “medical values” of them….in their older ages now,including myself,they are the ones noticing what it does to their bodies when someone abuses drugs in earlier years…and then sees what it has done to… Read more »
Wayne are you saying, you used to be a Hippie during tha good ol days? What drugs did you do? 🙂
Maybe it’s about time for the drug dealers to find another road to travel when passing through the Sierras’….Doesn’t look like that stretch around Lee Vining and Bridgeport is too good of an idea as of late….
Jeez, that’s a lot of dope for a few days work.
How dare all these people come up here to party. Next time just go to the bars.
Funny how this saturation deal coincided with the start of Burning Man. Not too hard to spot vehicles headed there either, but does a wacky looking rig give LE reasonable cause to search? Drug dog must have hit on them?
GW…..Maybe that will be their defense in court…..”But Judge……I was going to Burning Man….doesn’t that make it O.K.,and legal to transport and deal meth,pot,schrooms,Ketimine,Xanax,LSD and GHB ?….”..As far as the “probable cause”,in my older days,when I was in or around a vehicle with someone that had that type of smorgasboard… Read more »
GW- good luck getting a little small town justice up here. If you try to fight and lose, they will throw the book at you.
Why do they care so much?!?! NO ONE. I REPEAT NO ONE on MDMA, LSD or mushrooms has any desire to hurt another human being! Unlike alcohol users experience raised dopamine and serotonin levels, which causes happiness, not aggression. SO… mind your own business and don’t stick your righteous noses… Read more »