San Luis Obispo County pot heist leads to the arrest of 22 gang members

September 9, 2024

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The brazen burglary of a cannabis business in north San Luis Obispo County, and the hard work of local law enforcement, led to the arrest of 22 Oakland gang members who allegedly burglarized numerous marijuana facilities across the state.

On Jan. 16, a caller reported a burglary at a cannabis processing plant in northern San Luis Obispo County. Witnesses reported seeing at least seven suspects running out of the business with bags of cannabis, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office. 

When deputies arrived at the scene, the suspects had already fled. The thieves absconded with at least 500 pounds of processed and packaged marijuana. The suspects broke into a safe. Investigators estimated the total loss at $500,000.

During their investigation, deputies determined a similar crime had occurred in San Jose. The detective contacted the San Jose Police Department and later the California Department of Justice. 

Eventually, a multi-agency investigation found a crew of Oakland gang members who had been targeting cannabis-related facilities. 

Last week, state DOJ personnel arrested and charged 22 people for the crimes. Thirteen of the suspects were involved in the northern SLO County burglary.

Overall, the suspects are thought to be responsible for at least 15 dispensary burglaries in nine different California counties. In all, the thefts resulted in a loss of more than $1 million and nearly one thousand pounds of cannabis.