The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California announced  the guilty pleas today of two individuals on charges of illegally growing 1,000 or more marijuana plants and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Dennis Franklin Hunter, 30 and Roy Bryan Mercer, 38, entered guilty pleas today in the San Francisco courtroom of District Court Judge Maxine M. Chesney.  Mr. Hunter and Mr. Mercer pled guilty to violating Title 21 U.S. Code Section 841(a)(1) relating to illegally growing the marijuana plants and Title 18 U.S. Code Section 1956(h), relating to the money laundering conspiracy.

Mr. Hunter and Mr. Mercer pled guilty today to two counts of the March 29, 2002 indictment.  According to the indictment, all three defendants were alleged to have conspired to manufacture and to possess with intent to distribute, and to intentionally manufacture and possess with intent to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance: 1,000 or more marijuana plants.  In addition, each was charged with conspiracy to evade IRS reporting requirements and structuring of monetary instruments as well as conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.  Also, all three were charged with multiple counts of knowingly and willfully conducting and attempting to conduct a financial transaction affecting interstate commerce with proceeds of the illegal operation, with the intent to promote the carrying on the manufacture of marijuana.

Mr. Turner is also charged with one count of knowingly engaging in or attempting to engage in a monetary transaction affecting interstate commerce in criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000, concerning the purchase of 88 Cedar Ed Road, Blue Lake, California by Roy Bryan Mercer.

The maximum statutory penalty as to Mr. Hunter and Mr. Mercer for each count in violation of Title 21 U.S. Code Section 841(a)(1) is 20 years and a fine of $8 million.  The maximum statutory penalty as to Mr. Hunter and Mr. Mercer for each count in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code 1956(h) is 20 years and a fine in the amount of $500,000.  An indictment simply contains allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Mr. Turner must be presumed innocent unless and until convicted.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 5, 2003 before Judge Chesney in San Francisco.

The prosecution is the result of a lengthy investigation by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation.  AUSA Michael Nerney is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case.