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SLO County’s marijuana mogul’s sentencing delayed

February 9, 2022

By KAREN VELIE

A federal judge has agreed to delay the sentencing hearing for a San Luis Obispo man who pled guilty in Oct, 2021 to bribing former SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill.

Judge André Birotte moved the sentencing for marijuana mogul Helios Dayspring, which was previously scheduled to take place this week, to April 22. Dayspring faces a statutory maximum penalty of 13 years in federal prison.

Dayspring admitted to paying thousands of dollars in bribes to Hill for favorable votes on his cannabis business interests and for deliberately failing to report millions of dollars in income to the IRS. Dayspring agreed to plead guilty to both felony offenses and cooperate in the government’s ongoing investigation, as part of a plea agreement.

In addition to agreeing to cooperate with a federal investigation into corruption, Dayspring agreed to make his best effort, prior to sentencing, to pay his unpaid taxes and $3.4 million in restitution to the IRS. A promise he said he has not yet been able to keep because selling properties in light of his guilty plea has been difficult, according to the motion to continue sentencing.

“The defendant has consummated the sale of a significant piece of real estate which
is scheduled to close in Feb. 2022, listed eight additional parcels of real property for sale, and is in the process of finalizing improvements on a ninth piece of real estate so that it can also be promptly listed for sale,” according to the motion.”

Dayspring’s sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on April 22 at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.


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boycott dispensaries….grow your own.


2

Unfortunately in the judicial system money plays a big role in when and how long a defendant will learn their fate


1

There are a lot of elected officials, planners, and “planning consultants” (aka fixers) that he needs to roll on. He may be hedging and the FBI not yet satisfied that he is fulfilling the terms of the deal. The way to do cannabis licenses is the way the ABC does alcohol licenses. But no, they had to design the system to ensure extreme local government corruption.


27

Got to let him enjoy 4/20 one last time before he gets locked up I guess.


7

Do you really think he can’t get drugs while in jail or prison? In fact many of his associates may be in with him and all their connections will keep them well stocked.


6

S**t, he’ll be still be running every cannabis dispensary in the county, as he does now. Not one got their “license” without his involvement and payoffs.


2

I hear 420 has a new meaning. It’s the number of brains cells destroyed with each hit.


-1

Could this government supported industry be for the job security of more government jobs? Just seems like a dog chasing his tail business model.


11

Surprise Surprise!!! Gee that’s really interesting when currently in SLO it is a Sellers Market and prices are at an all time high…


26

Illegal drug lord, turned millionaire through deceit and corruption, plays the system. Daysprings is no mogul. He’s more like a mole grubbing for corrupt and slimy politicians for favor like Hill and Harmon. This guy is nothing but a low-life drug dealer that acquired all of this property through laundered drugs money. Now once again playing a game to save his ill-gotten crap. What a crock.

All proceeds from the sale of his properties should be seized and used to fund local Police and Fire agencies that have had to handle the results of his illegal drug trade and the damages to our communities.


57

April 22, Earth Day. How appropriate, in a green sort of way. If Judge Birotte had an exquisite sense irony, he would have scheduled two days earlier to April 20.


12

April 1st for that fool.


0