Salinas man sentenced to probation for illegal cannabis operation

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) A Salinas man, 55-year-old Anthony Villafranca, will spend three years on probation and 45 days in jail for an illegal cannabis cultivation operation.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said it found about 5,000 plants at the operation on the 2300 block of East Alisal Road and found more small plants at a location on Reese Circle. The Sheriff's Office also found that Villafranca did not have Worker's Compensation Insurance or withhold unemployment taxes after talking to employees.

Villafranca had documents showing that he was trying to get local permits to conduct a cannabis operation, but the District Attorney's Office said that because it did not have all state and local permits yet, operations should not have begun.

Anyone with information about an illegal cannabis cultivation is asked to call 1-833-933-3847.