Man sentenced for illegal San Benito County grow

The San Benito County District Attorney’s Office announced that Emmanuel Jiminez Rivera, 30. will serve eight months in jail, in connection to an illegal marijuana grow found back in June.

Rivera was sentenced on one felony marijuana cultivation count and three misdemeanors.

On June 22, officers found 3,354 marijuana plants at an illegal grow site along Silver Creek near Panoche Road. According to prosecutors, they also found oil, gasoline and other harmful substances along creek, near the illegal grow site.

Prosecutors also say the illegal marijuana grow was on an environmentally sensitive habitat of an endangered species, which Rivera killed.

In a statement, San Benito Deputy District Attorney Taylor Rhodes said, “Justice was served by holding Rivera accountable for his actions for damaging sensitive environmental resources.”