Front Page  »  

Marijuana mogul charged with bribing SLO County supervisor

July 28, 2021

Former supervisor Adam Hill glaring at a CalCoastNews reporter, photo by Daniel Blackburn

By KAREN VELIE

Prosecutors charged marijuana mogul Helios Dayspring with paying thousands of dollars in bribes to then-San Luis Obispo Supervisor Adam Hill for favorable votes on his cannabis business interests.

Prosecutors charged Dayspring, 35, in federal court with one count of bribery and one count of filing a false 2018 income tax return that deliberately failed to report millions of dollars in income to the IRS. Dayspring agreed to plead guilty to both felony offenses, pay $3.4 million in restitution to the IRS, and cooperate in the government’s ongoing investigation.

Dayspring is the majority owner of three approved retail pot shops and multiple large marijuana grows in San Luis Obispo County, as well as many cannabis businesses in other counties in California.

To further his interests in the farms that grew cannabis in San Luis Obispo County, Dayspring began paying bribes to Hill in the fall of 2016 and continued doing so through November 2019.

In total, Dayspring paid Hill multiple bribes in cash and money orders totaling $32,000, the Justice Department said in a press release. In exchange, Hill voted on matters affecting Dayspring’s farms, including voting multiple times in favor of ordinances that permitted Dayspring’s farms to operate before he had obtained final permitting approvals.

“In addition to bribing the San Luis Obispo County supervisor, Dayspring admitted in his plea agreement that he and his business associate attempted to bribe the then-mayor of Grover Beach in exchange for two dispensary licenses in that city,” according to prosecutors. “The attempted $100,000 bribe took place during a dinner meeting in September 2017. The mayor did not respond to the offer, and Dayspring did not pay the bribe.”

Dayspring also admitted to cheating on his federal tax returns for the years 2014 through 2018, which resulted in the IRS losing more than $3.4 million in tax revenue.

SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon and Helios Dayspring

As part of his plea agreement, Dayspring agreed to surrender in this case and make his first appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles on August 25. Once he pleads guilty to the bribery and tax charges, Dayspring will face a statutory maximum penalty of 13 years in federal prison.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter, which is part of an ongoing public corruption investigation in San Luis Obispo County.

Investigators are asking anyone with  information related to this case or any other public corruption matter in San Luis Obispo County to send information to the FBI’s email tip line at pctips-losangeles@fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.

In 2016, CalCoastNews first reported allegations Hill was asking marijuana business owners to pay bribes in return for favorable votes. For years, CalCoastNews exclusively reported about Dayspring’s alleged bribery, tax evasion, illegal cannabis sales and property fraud.

At CalCoastNews we believe in unbiased, non-partisan investigative journalism. In order to increase coverage of issues such as corruption and bribery, Cal Coast News needs to increase staffing, but that takes money.

We are offering subscriptions, without a paywall. Subscribers will receive email notifications of breaking news and copies of documents not provided with articles.

Our goal is to have 300 people sign up for monthly subscriptions during the next 30 days. Just $10, $20, or $30 a month will make an impact. Click here for our subscription page.


Loading...
Related:


61 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Who is going to tell Dee Torres that the IRS will want the Hill Estate to pay taxes on that $32K?


79

Adam was paid in cash and money orders, probably stashed away in his home safe. The FBI should be looking for that cash. Gee, I wonder who cleaned out his house?


59

Why isn’t the “business associate” being named? Does his last name rhyme with “hack.”


F**k Ashbaugh, Marx, Christensen, Gibson, Harmon, Fulks, and all the other Lefties who kissed Adam Hill’s butt and defended him rigorously.


Seriously, F**k all of you.


129

My guess,


Clue 1: Name rhymes with “Gory Hack”


Clue 2: Last name is the opposite of white.


21

MANY times, Adam rolled his eyes, verbally demeaned constituents who expressed dissenting opinions, and showed disrespect to countless people.


All the while he was accepting bribes and still had the nerve to lecture and threaten citizens via caustic e-mails and numerous social media posts.


$32,000 (tax free!) is a lot of money but selling your integrity, reputation and legacy is simply not worth it.


113

This behavior has always been the downfall for the legalization of marijuana. One might even say that this fertile ground for outlaws has been a contrived way to collect money, another revenue stream for the show of justice? Illegal pot seemed to keep things under control, still present but not endorsed for young minds to say, “weII it’s legal.”


55

This may be a good time to fill that prescription for Ambien. There’s going to be a run on it as the SLO Progressives find ways to sleep. Oh, and that peculiar sound…shoes dropping as Helios sings.


76

This would never have come to light without Velie’s reporting on this joker… since 2016! Dayspring was tossing around cash bribes more vigorously than a Vegas blackjack dealer, and few SLO folks wanted to notice. Another long term reporting failure for the Tribune, which took Dayspring’s money and ignored the obvious, and New Times, which all but beatified him.


146

100% CORRECT!


88

Great insight and truth. All birds, or should I say vultures of the same feathers. I’m sure there are others that are dirty too. Ellen Beraud was funded mightily by the pot industry during all of her campaigns. Mayor Harmon was very close with Hill and also received support and funds from these deceitful pot lords. May all of their vultures come home to roost.


94

I subscribed. Let’s see if CCN gets more than the Trib.


48

Hmmm… this is why Helios was transferring his interests in his businesses, like 510 Rancho Road in Nipomo, to his girlfriend and using local attorney Paul Ready to pressure the County to approve the application.

The Feds need to look at supervisor Gibson’s relationship with Helios; he has been attempting to sway the planning department and the sheriff to approve Helios’ planned cultivation site on LOVR.

Wonder what was in it for Bruce.

They also need to look into Heidi Harmon’s interest in Megan’s Organics and it’s connection to Helios.

As much as I would love to see this scumbag go to prison, I would much rather see him become a cooperating witness against the other local officials who have been taking money for favors.


141

Let’s just hope he already is, rats tend to squirm when squeezed with a long prison sentence, digital footprints and records will be admitted as evidence by the FBI.


39

Let’s not forget he purchased the building Megan market operates out of and also own the majority of “Megans Market”. He used her to get the added points on the SLO app for being a local. Ultimately he now will have two stores in SLO. Megan sold out to him just to see her name on a building. He has his hand in many things in SLO county that many people would be surprised of.


88

Who in this County did not know this was happening when it actually was happening? Thanks to CCN, they have lanced a boil that will keep on giving the news behind this. It’s a sad and joyless tale that could likely envelop all of those who were behind Adam Hill and his cronies like Heidi Harmon, Susan Devine, Bruce Gibson, Dawn Ortiz Legg, Tom Fulks and others. This could be indeed a gift that keeps on giving, Possibly revealing the real truth behind Hill’s suicide…Let’s let it play out to get to the truth…


130

so slimy – and not surprising – connect the dots to this group of people who will do anything to get ahead. susan devine – hills assistant until she was fired. married to bob vessely who has been featured in cal coast news for his despicable antics in port san luis. great job ccn


73
1 2 3 … 5