A Merced man found to be orchestrating a large-scale illegal marijuana cultivation operation in Shasta-Trinity National Forest has received a 10-year sentence. Custodio Ibarra Nunez, 42, has also been ordered to pay $17,930.30 in restitution for damages to the public lands where more than 4,000 marijuana plants were grown. Nunez's conviction is the culmination of investigations by multiple agencies, after he was initially indicted and arrested in February 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The criminal undertaking ran from May 23 to July 8, 2019, with court documents revealing Nunez as the manager working alongside Francisco Madrigal Magana, Mario Alberto Lopez Pena, and an unnamed 17-year-old minor in the remote area south of Rays Peak. While Magana and Pena were previously sentenced to 18 and 24 months in prison respectively for their roles, Nunez continued the illicit operation, even involving the minor after the initial site was compromised by law enforcement. Nunez was not present during the bust but his connection to the site and ongoing involvement in illegal cultivation activities in Merced were discovered through ongoing investigations, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Law enforcement officers conducted a raid at the Shasta-Trinity site, apprehending Magana and Lopez while seizing the large marijuana grow. The operation spurred a cooperative effort between the U.S. Forest Service, the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, and other state and local departments, leading to the defendants' identification and subsequent arrests. Nunez, despite not being onsite during the raid, was later exposed as a key figure in the operation following the search of his home where further incriminating evidence was found.
Damage to the national forest included disrupted land and waterways from a large marijuana operation, harming ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella led the case, resulting in Nunez's ten-year prison sentence and fines for environmental repair. This reflects the seriousness of the crime and the need to restore public lands and resources.
