LOCKWOOD VALLEY (Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2011)—Lockwood Valley resident Steve Kall pled guilty in Ventura County Superior Court Tuesday to 36 counts of money laundering. He admitted to laundering over $1 million. Despite being associated with two sophisticated grow houses containing over a thousand plants, he pled guilty to a single felony count of possessing marijuana for sale. The marijuana intercepted was allegedly worth $4 million. Kall has been living in Sherman Oaks. Sentencing is scheduled for March 10. He is facing four years and four months incarceration.

Prosecutors alleged that Kall had far flung interests in shell companies used for hiding the proceeds from marijuana transactions. He also was part owner of the Golden State Collective medical marijuana dispensary in Granada Hills.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputies based in Lockwood Valley began the investigation that led to the arrest. They located bootleg energy connections leading from a power pole to Kall’s house. When they followed the line and smelled marijuana in the area, they secured a search warrant. Inside was the sophisticated grow set-up.

Kall was well-known to many in the Mountain Communities area. He was associated with the deceased Garrett Farn, who had lived in a guest house on the property.

This is part of the February 04, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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