According to the court documents, Dayspring owned, operated, and/or had a controlling interest in multiple farms that grew cannabis in San Luis Obispo County. Helios "Bobby" Dayspring, 35, appeared via Zoom before Judge Andre Birotte Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to enter guilty pleas to one count of federal . Los Angeles, California 90012. (Associated Press) Helios Dayspring had one goal: build a cannabis empire that, in his words, would be "too big to fail.". Federal prosecutors, on Wednesday, July 28, filed criminal information charges against a San Luis Obispo man, Helios Raphael Dayspring, charging him with bribery for paying a San Luis Obispo County supervisor approximately $32,000 - most of that in cash - in exchange for the supervisor's votes and influence on other votes affecting his cannabis business interests. NHC loses court fight over Orcutt dispensary, founder charged with bribery By Camillia Lanham. Prosecutors often call tax charges, the easy low-hanging fruit because once a targets expenditures are compared with the income reported, if the disparity is extreme the feds are likely have an easy-to-prove tax prosecution. DAYSPRING: "It's really important you guys extend the time frame for submission and don't allow other people in yet [as] [t]his affects all the properties that I just got investment into, every one of them. Bobby Dayspring, 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge Andr Birotte Jr. Dayspring has paid the restitution order of $3,438,793 to the IRS in this case. One can suppose existence will be about 10 years, 22 months in prison divided by 120 months overall hmmm sad choice Mr. Mendota. Dayspring admitted to underreporting more than $3.4 million on his personal income on his federal tax returns for four . Dayspring also admitted to underreporting his taxable income by around $9 million between 2014 and 2018, resulting in an underpayment to the IRS of $3.4 million. In exchange, the supervisor voted on matters affecting Daysprings farms, including voting multiple times in favor of legislation that permitted Daysprings farms to operate before it had obtained final permitting approvals. According to federal prosecutors, from fall 2016 to 2019, Dayspring paid the . It does not matter whether the product being grown or sold is illegal in any regard. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Their law firms also have the personnel resources (to include support staff) to excel in the morass of licensing and regulatory hurdles. The SG100K has been officially launched by Singapore's Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung on Friday, 16 December 2022. Reminds me of the guy who had money and friends in SLO GOV who beat up his girlfriend and frauded multiple people ..He was allowed to change his name and be sentenced under his new name. Shoals did not respond to the offer, the plea agreement states. The mayor did not respond to the offer, and Dayspring did not end up paying the bribe. For example, for the tax year 2018, Dayspring falsely reported his taxable income as $1,262,894, when in fact his income was greater than $6.5 million. May 27, 2022, 9:17 PM. Shoals did not accept the payment. Resist the temptation to engage in such conduct. Los Angeles, California 90012. Two months later, the Board of Supervisors was weighing whether to ban all outdoor marijuana cultivation, which would have dealt Dayspring a significant financial loss, the plea agreement says. Editors Note: Since the legalization of marijuana, allegations of bribery, human trafficking, black market sales and money laundering have surfaced. Subscribe A week later, Hill wrote in a message to Dayspring and his employee that your industry should give me one giant French kiss wrapped in money after my work today. At Hills request, Dayspring hosted at his home a political fundraiser that raised more than $13,000, according to the plea agreement. Helios Raphael Dayspring, a.k.a. In 2017, Grover Beach began accepting applications for cannabis dispensary permits. It was Rybarczyk, at Daysprings in-person federal court sentencing hearing, who honed in on Daysprings actions involving the government official. Hill also cast other votes on regulations to allow more cannabis cultivation in San Luis Obispo County, and while Dayspring was paying him for his support. Whoops! Mrozek, the U.S. DOJ spokesman, declined to say whether Shoals cooperated with federal investigators, or whether he ever reported the attempted bribe. He took another $5,000 in cash as well as cannabis products in early 2018. According to CalCoastNews, Dayspring agreed to a "confidential settlement" with William Szymczak, an 83-year-old investor who put more than $17 million into . He said he spent millions transitioning into the legal cannabis market. "Please be advised that Helios Dayspring has sold his interest in NHCSLO, LLC, to Valnette Garcia," attorney Paul Ready wrote on Sept. 9, 2020, referring to Dayspring's dispensary, Natural Healing Center. Helios Dayspring, owner of Lemoore's Natural Healing Center cannabis dispensary and lounge, pled guilty to bribing SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill. Official websites use .gov It was because Dayspring acted corruptly by using money, cannabis and free food, to influence a local public office holder. Any operatoreven one who does not engage in corruption and declares all incomecould still be subject to federal arrest and prosecution just for being in the business.. In May 2020, the FBI questioned county supervisors John Peschong, Debbie Arnold, Bruce Gibson and Lynn Compton regarding government corruption. (David Middlecamp / San Luis Obispo Tribune photo), Helios Dayspring opened his first SLO County Natural Healing Center cannabis dispensary in Grover Beach in 2019. Plus, Daysprings 22-month sentence was well below the statutory maximum sentence of 13 years for the two offenses combined. According to Dayspring's plea agreement, there was no bribery involved in obtaining the permits for the three dispensaries in the Glass House deal. When asked if Hill would have faced charges were he still alive, U.S. DOJ spokesman Thom Mrozek said, I cannot answer that question.. Daysprings illicit activities spread to city government as well, federal prosecutors allege. Surely, the judge took that fact into consideration when imposing Daysprings 22-month sentence under federal guideline sentence. This means: Do not slip them cash, provide them with free cannabis or with any free meals (big or small). The result? County officials became aware of the federal investigation in March 2020, when FBI agentsserved a search-and-seizure warrant at the San Luis Obispo County Government Center. Judge Birotte sentenced Dayspring to 22 months on the count of bribery and 22 months for tax fraud to be served concurrently. A San Luis Obispo County cannabis grower and dispensary owner bribed the late County Supervisor Adam Hill and attempted to bribe the mayor of Grover Beach, and will plead guilty to federal bribery and tax crimes. Site design and development byHop StudiosHop Studios, Helios Dayspring of Natural Healing Center will plead guilty to bribing Hill after paying more than $30,000 in cash and money orders, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, Late District 3 Supervisor Adam Hill, seen here in his office at the San Luis Obispo County Government Center, died by suicide on Aug. 6, 2020. In October 2021, Dayspring pleaded guilty to one count of bribery and one count of subscribing to a false income tax return. The founder of California cannabis dispensary Natural Healing Center has pleaded guilty to bribery and filing a false tax return, KSBY reports. Last Friday, U.S. District Judge Andrew Andr Birotte Jr. sentenced Dayspring a larger-than-life cannabis grower who owned hundreds of acres throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and ran three dispensaries in San Luis Obispo County to 22 months, the lowest sentence of the options available to him. The former owner of a California cannabis retailer has been charged in federal court with bribery and failing to report millions of dollars in income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), KSBY reports. Click here to read Helios Daysprings complete plea agreement. The IRS agent, often with the help of an IRS revenue analyst, will then comb through a targets bank statements, credit and debit card statements, business records, and federal filings (to include currency transaction reports, CTRs) and compare that information with a targets tax returns. The city later awarded Dayspring a single permit. After Dayspring's crimes came to light, the city of San Luis Obispo revoked the permit for a Natural Healing Center . The federal agents got records from a Pismo Beach restaurant where the birthday meal for the supervisor was held. At some point during the meal, Shoals left the table to use the restroom, and while he was gone, the plea agreement states, the business partner told Dayspring this was their chance to offer Mayor 1 a bribe.. Cannabis business operators need experienced lawyers to guide them. Click here to read more stories from The San Luis Obispo Tribune. Suite 1200 Helios Raphael Dayspring, founder and former CEO of the Natural Healing Center, has agreed to plead guilty to several felony charges, pay $3.4 million in restitution to the IRS, and cooperate with an ongoing investigation. You're on the list. Trew Knowledge. Dayspring owned, operated, and had a controlling interest in multiple farms that grew cannabis in San Luis Obispo County. In another over-the-top text exchange, the county official texted that his birthday was around the corner and what was Dayspring going to do for him. Its a sad day for everybody., Arnold said, this news brings closure to a long investigation.. In December 2018, Dayspring and Hill discussed the importance of having (Hill) and other county supervisors approve the continued abeyance on enforcement action and how a lapse in the abeyance would affect his cannabis farms.. Daysprings downfall is a warning to all. The quid pro quo was clear, according to Daysprings plea agreement. Through 2018, Dayspring said he gave Hill $5,000 in cash and various cannabis-related products, his agreement says. "Bobby Dayspring," 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge Andr Birotte Jr. Dayspring has paid the restitution order of $3,438,793 to the IRS in this case. Dayspring, a business partner and the citys mayor, who wasnt identified in the plea agreement, met at a restaurant in Arroyo Grande in 2017. Extension of timeframe seems pretty reasonable and probably no one else in until everyone has been deemed complete.. His health is a question given that gut. The nature of the warrants was unknown at the time, as they were under seal. Why did the feds in this vast Central District, home to 19 million inhabitants and covering 40,000 square miles, single out Dayspring? Rybarczyk implored the court to punish Dayspring for trying to fix the game so no other operator could fairly compete. Harmon was having a sexual relationship with Quinn Brady, her assistant/campaign manager at the time. Lock Hell emerge as he enters a very rich man. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Hill also requested Dayspring take him out to dinner for his birthday, which Dayspring paid for, and was then given another $5,000 in cash. Tony Biasotti There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Environmental Crimes and Community Safety, San Luis Obispo Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bribing County Supervisor to Vote on Issues Affecting His Cannabis Businesses, Former FBI Special Agent Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Accepting Bribes Paid by Attorney Linked to Organized Crime Figure, Former Los Angeles City Politician Jos Huizar Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Tax Evasion Charges, Former Top Official in Orange Countys Democratic Party Agrees to Plead Guilty to Attempted Wire Fraud and Admits to Bribery Scheme, San Luis Obispo Man Agrees To Plead Guilty To Bribing County Supervisor To Vote On Issues Affecting His Cannabis Businesses. While they were eating, the mayor got up to use the restroom and Daysprings business partner said this was their chance to offer the bribe, the agreement says. Count One charged federal bribery and Count Two charged that Dayspring intentionally under-reported his business income on his federal tax returns. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Those were deposited in Hills personal bank account, the agency says. They are: A lawyer who represents those charged with cannabis crimes in state and local courts (to include possession and distribution) and/or who represents defendants charged with non-cannabis related crimes (to include drunk driving and assault) is not often the right lawyer to represent cannabis operators with licensing applications and regulatory matters. Sheriff Jon Lopey was startled when the mysterious stranger offered him $1 million if he would keep deputies away from certain illegal cannabis farms in Siskiyou County. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Helios Dayspring's workers transporting immigrant women to a grow in Tepusquet Canyon in Northern Santa Barbara County. There, townspeople run into each other more frequently and have more daily opportunities to interact with the local level officials who are making licensing and zoning decisions. Calcoast news did great coverage of the shady dealings of Mr Petetit-Wright. Helios Dayspring, founder of Central Californias Natural Healing Center dispensaries, was sentenced to a 22-month prison sentence. California's coastal "King of Cannabis," Helios Dayspring, owner of a San Luis Obispo cannabis cultivation site, supplier to many licensed California dispensaries, and founder of Central California's Natural Healing Center dispensary, was sentenced to a 22-month prison sentence, in a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom May 27. Not understood by some, the feds have broad jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute cases at the local and state levelso long as there is a federal interest. Bribery of a state or local official is a federal crime where the locality or the state has received in excess of $10,000 for any federal program (which could be food stamps or even highway reconstruction money). Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), https://www.independent.com/2022/06/01/central-coast-cannabis-kingpin-sentenced-to-22-months-in-bribery-scandal/, The Slow Road to Fresh Air in the Carpinteria Valley, Get a Whiff of This: How Some Carpinterians Learned to Sniff Pot for Science, Carpinteria Pot Wars: A Dutch Clean-Air Technology Gives Residents Some Hope. SAN LUIS OBISPO - Helios Raphael Dayspring (35), the founder of the Natural Healing Center, a cannabis retailer, has pleaded guilty to bribery and failing to report millions of dollars in income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (213) 894-4465. Two of the matters cited by federal prosecutors from which Dayspring benefitted was the September 2016 moratorium on cultivation of cannabis in the countys unincorporated areas, which included an exemption from enforcement for existing farms registered with the county, as well as a November 2017 extension on an abeyance of enforcement action on Daysprings farms. Extension of timeframe seems reasonable and probably no one else in until everyone has been deemed complete., Dayspring responded that Hill was the man., On Dec. 12, 2018, Hill told Dayspring by text that the board approved the extension, to which Dayspring replied, Thank God . He crossed the ethical line. San Luis Obispo County marijuana mogul Helios Dayspring surrendered to the Federal Correctional Institution in Mendota (FCI Mendota) last week to begin a 22 month sentence for bribery and tax fraud. You're on the list. Do you defend (in state and local courts) individuals charged with cannabis possession and/or distribution? In July this year Dayspring spelled out how he conspired with Megan Souza, Eric Powers, and Nick Andre in NHC SLO LLC vs City of SLO (case #21CV-0734) to fraudulently obtain all three SLO City cannabis store permits. In total, Dayspring paid the late Third District supervisor multiple bribes in cash and money orders totaling $32,000. Dayspring, over a three-year period starting in 2016, bribed a San Luis Obispo county supervisor with money, free cannabis, and fancy meals, so that the local government official would vote in favor of policies which favored Daysprings San Luis Obispo cannabis farm and his Grover Beach, California retail outlet. Central Coast cannabis kingpin Helios Raphael Dayspring better known as "Bobby" was named after the sun god of Greek mythology. The product being grown or sold is illegal in any regard two charged that Dayspring intentionally his. Will be about 10 years, 22 months for tax fraud to be served concurrently for everybody., Arnold,. 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