INLAND EMPIRE – (INT) – The region’s epidemic of large, illegal marijuana cultivations and the growing number of dispensaries has caught up with a member of the San Jacinto City Council.

Joel Lopez and another San Jacinto man, Edward Padilla, Jr., have been indicted on an assortment of criminal charges including a felony of conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance for sale.

According to a statement from the Riverside County DA’s office, both men hired individuals to work for an unlicensed illegal cannabis dispensary called “Santa Fe Co-Op,” “Santa Fe Collective”, or “Santa Fe”. They allegedly placed cannabis and/or THC products for sale in display cases inside a location in San Jacinto. Lopez and Padilla, and others, sold cannabis and/or THC products from the same location and through a delivery service to the public. Lopez received the proceeds from the illegal sale of cannabis.

The indictment was unsealed Friday. Both men are facing arraignment in Riverside County Superior Court.

Story Date: June 23, 2021