Paul Courtney and a group of people pleaded not guilty to felony tax evasion and illegal marijuana cultivation related to a July 7, 2022 police raid. The raid targeted a Lenwood Road warehouse owned by American Quartz Group, Inc., a Chinese-owned countertop manufacturer, and resulted in the seizure of more than 15,000 marijuana plants. Courtney served as Barstow mayor from December 2020 to December 2024, pleaded not guilty on July 31, and is due in court Sept. 4. He says he was unaware of the grow and of the charges until contacted by a reporter. The San Bernardino County District Attorney charged a dozen others, including eight Chinese nationals.
Courtney, who served as mayor of the city from December 2020 until December 2024 but decided not to run again, pleaded not guilty in Victorville Superior Court on July 31 to one felony count of cultivating more than six marijuana plants and one felony count of tax evasion. He will next appear in court on Sept. 4 for a pretrial hearing, and has been ordered not to leave the state without written permission from the court, records show.
Courtney, 64, told the Southern California News Group last month he was not involved in any kind of illegal marijuana cultivation and was unaware of the grow at the Lenwood Road warehouse owned by American Quartz Inc., headquartered in China. He said he was unaware he had been charged with the crimes until a reporter called and asked him to comment.
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