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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.

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As always the comments are as enlightening as the article!

This whole cooperating witness business has me worried, it seems that his defense is the dead guy did it!!

Based on actions, both Grover Beach and Morro Bay officials had to have received a payoff of some kind, but the cooperation seems to be aimed at giving just enough information to receive a minimal sentence and paying taxes that he should of paid anyway:(

Why was John Shoals offered $100,000.00 and Adam only received $32,000.00, and he was actually doing the heavy lifting? Maybe because whatever he claimed to have given Adam would have increased his tax bill.

The one thing I hope is that the sentencing judge puts Helios on a very long probation that doesn’t allow him to be anywhere near the marijuana business or to affiliate with anyone who is!!!

If the FBI does find in their investigation that in fact Grover Beach politicians or officials were in fact bribed, the the judge orders restitution to the Dance Studio that was run out of their location!!!


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I truly hope the bureaucrats find a legal way to legally terminate Hill’s posthumous pension. Even the thought that someone is still being paid for all the crap Hill pulled on SLO County taxpayers is absolutely infuriating.


59

The importance of the media and the poor shape it’s in here on the Central Coast has really come into focus.


The Tribune is an ever-diminishing, horribly skewed joke run by clueless hacks. SLO New Times is an assemblage of odd/angry people, and it has sucked ever since Steve Moss passed. KSBY, KCOY and the rest of local TV and radio are equally weak and unreliable.


Only Cal Coast News has been able to expose people like “Helios” and Gearheart. Without CCN, both would have gotten away with what they did while the local mainstream media sung their glories. Yet some — particularly leftist radicals bristle with anger that CCN is the “National Enquirer” of the Central Coast.


Utter bull manure. CCN has become the paper of record here on the Central Coast. Sorry y’all, but the rest of you suck.


That’s right, you SUCK.


66

Just ask the existing business owners of the area around 4th and Highland what happened to their real estate costs.

Property values sky rockets to unaffordable,

Megadeals made with take or lose,

Dance halls for little tykes closed so pot can open.

Sholes, Lee, Dee Torres, Dee Sánchez.

Money Money Money.

Quite the Criminal gang in Grover.

Dawn Levitt legg gets appointed,

Miriam Shah moves to another corrupt city with two corrupt leaders, Paulding and Karen Russo. Throw in a Storton in Ag.

Add the total incompetent Mayor Heidi and all the Parades downtown take closed Business, Freeways and and injured Kids and Cop’s and cost Business owners a huge amount of revenue for keeping their business open during the Pandemic.

Methinks some Judges and Council officials and city heads of Departments should have known that there was a lot of money floating around to the connectied persons.

Did a little deeper folks

The Conjos are buryed very shallow.


61

Spread this everywhere you can, Facebook, Reddit, very interesting


“Hometown Radio 07/29/21 5p: Part 1 Attorney Stew Jenkins explains the Helios Dayspring/Adam Hill case”


https://post.futurimedia.com/kvecam/playlist/13/listen-5517.html?cb=1627607812.646458&fbclid=IwAR0VFmRNWmRPGpNihtgH1NbU1a0DNfKlhyuEIpoDUJO6UDc9D039FBha3Y0


KimL brings up a lot of interesting points but don’t forget the deaths on his properties that have been covered up and illegal immigrant labor from out of the country, I think only CalCoastNews ever reported on that, then again, seems like the reputation of all papers aside from CCN are going to have to take a huge hit as it’s pretty obvious they chose not to report on this for a long, long time.


52

“Helios” is the Greek sun god. This POS is no sun — no source of light. He’s a source of darkness that preys on others to enrich himself. Have you seen some of the souls in the queue at Megan’s and some of the other weed stores in SLO County? Rather sad. Worse than liquor stores, and that’s saying something.


It’s sad home someone like this is allowed to cast a pall over an entire community. I hope law enforcement is diligent this time. True justice would have required the imprisonment of Adam Hill…


52

I must admit, these revelations are not only spot on, they reveal the very TIP, of what has been and is going on as these events are in the birth-pains of much more to come.


Names, Events and culprits not yet indicted but under a probe, remember Helios’s former friend and partner Sean Despain DOB, 2-27-80 found dead of an alleged Overdose of Xanax, Cocaine and “Whip-it” ingestion at a party as his Condo off of Broad Street on 7-23-20 just hours before he was going to go to a certain Federal Agency to blow the whistle on the entire organization.


Yet at this party someone gave him something more in his “Medicines/Alcohol” his young Girl Friend at the time of death was Gabrielle aka “Gabby” her name was found on the Xanax bottle next to his body, she called 911 sometime later. Allowing the time to confirm he had expired and could not be resuscitated as the 911 operator tried to explain to her how to provide CPR.


She told the responding Police she was in the “shower” and did not know he took all her Medications and Cocaine and found him deceased and vomited all over, yet she said to 911 she tried CPR all false. Case was closed as an Accidental OD. Helios was elated one problem gone.


Next two to the day his next associate Adam Hill also dies of a alleged OD, so convenient for those involved in this Group. This also goes back to another unfortunate death unsolved still today involved with the same group. Her Name was Margay Edwards she once worked at both Crikky Tiki and later at Firestone Grill with the Billingsley ( Kyle and Brother Hal) both involved with the Helios et al group. Margay was found deceased in Nevada desert near Pahrump, NV again case closed unsolved, yet she was on a delivery trip from near the Mexican Border for some of the group Members connected to Helio’s and his crew.


One of the addresses used was 5794 Salisbury Lane., SLO, CA 93401 ( Country Club), then take in the Group the mystery Plane Crash on 7-28-16 at the Henderson, NV Executive Airport tail FAA

Number is or now was N-341CP Mfg. Cirrus Design Group Model SR 22, Serial #3245, ” It was a reported mishap ? insurance settled no deaths. Bring in other local to SLO, CA Pilots James Campbell, former ACI pilot and private Pilot for the “Jet Setters” of the Group.


Then the other missing people that no one has yet reported nor will they as no one knows who they are or were. Thus no reporting from Mexico, Helio’s and a few others are cooperating for lesser time and fines. Do not be surprised as investigations into Public Corruption and Tax evasion and trafficking are still going on. More both Political and Lawyers involved as well as other Government Officials and City/County/State elected staff are still in the targeted list.


This web much to our surprise has been somewhat revealed by this Cal Coast News site, so watch as the process unfolds the end is not yet near for corruption and bribes, Prostitution, Smuggling, it is too bad you all do not have a Secret Criminal Grand Jury with people not connected to the locals from Judges, Lawyers and lower level Law enforcement. IRS/CID and the FBI’s Public Corruption unit is doing a great Job and it was a good idea to keep the locals out of the loop.


All of this is more money that you could ever think of, $ is the ruling factor, missing people, dead OD people, Planes, High end Cars, Boats and more are all involved.


We hope your story will reveal to those afraid to come forward now will, they can protect you if needed.


63

When the police decided to re-examine Despain’s death (after learning he was supposed to testify before a grand jury in LA) they went to interview Gabrielle. Someone had retained Robert Sanger of Santa Barbara to represent her. Sanger would not allow his client to be interviewed, telling the police they could submit their questions in writing to him.

With no second interview of Gabrielle and the death scene cleaned up prior to the police entering a few days later with a search warrant and nothing in the toxicology report to suggest anything other than death from a lethal overdose of a poly drug combination the case was cleared as an accidental death.


25

Pucker up local politicians, City Managers, Community Development Directors and others. It’s just beginning. All those bribes, selling dispensary permits. Payback is a ….. It took some time, but smile


73

So now we have the seemingly sudden “retirement” of Judge Ginger Garrett…

who/what is her connection to all of this? It sure seems like some folks are hearing footsteps.


54

That’s a Bingo….


30

I’m agreeing with you folks. Sad.


A competing local news article articulated that bribery and corruption will not be tolerated in SLO, yet here it is on their watch manifesting. Deflection isn’t going to help some nor retirement… the Feds will mostly root it out. Stand-by you folks that are myopic believing it can’t happen here and have denied it all along and by not voicing what they knew.


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