A man told authorities he was forced to work for two years without pay at an illegal marijuana farm, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The victim was allegedly housed without pay, sufficient food, bathroom access or humane living conditions while being compelled to work at the site” in Navarro, the Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
The victim was found Monday when deputies executed a search warrant at the cultivation site in the 3000 block of Seabiscuit Drive. More than 300 marijuana plants and over 600 pounds of processed marijuana were also found, deputies said.
Charges are being sought against a 43-year-old Boonville man for using “force, fear, coercion, and physical abuse, including assaults involving weapons, to prevent the victim from leaving the property,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The victim was referred to the Northern California Coalition to Safeguard Communities, which “provides specialized assistance, including human trafficking services and a range of other victim support programs, as part of its comprehensive victim services,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said they found “significant” environmental degradation at the property, where pollution could drain toward Flynn Creek, a tributary of the Navarro River.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling (707) 234-2100.