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A bail-reduction hearing for three members of a Valley Springs family charged in a March 12 pot bust cast more light on the alleged operation. Calaveras County Deputy District Attorney Dana Pfeil argued unsuccessfully Monday against reducing the bail amount of $800,000 for Alicia Pereira and her son, Andrew Adams. Visiting Judge Edward Lacy set bail for each at $100,000, in line with the typical bail schedule for the charges. Pereira, 36, is charged with cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale, criminal conspiracy, and possession of an illegal assault rifle. Adams, 18, is accused of criminal conspiracy and cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale. Pereira’s husband, Edward Pereira, 38, faces the same set of charges as his wife in the case. He also was present at Monday’s proceedings in Calaveras County Superior Court, however, due to an additional pending complaint still to be filed by the District Attorney’s office, his bail hearing was postponed until 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Pfeil explained to the court that Judge Douglas Mewhinney considered the volume of 1,700 plants seized in the operation, including 200 mature ones, in setting the higher bail figure. Alicia Pereira’s attorney, Gus Berrera, differed with that account, saying only 10 to 15 plants found on the property were mature. Pfeil said an SKS semi-automatic rifle was discovered in the family’s bathroom during the raid and further outlined how authorities were led to the home. “Mr. (Edward) Pereira became friendly with an undercover cop from Nevada County,” she said. They set up a deal to exchange 100 pounds of marijuana for $120,000 cash, with Pereira selling 30 pounds at another site before leading the undercover officers to his home to acquire the rest, Pfeil said. The Pereiras exchanged text messages about setting up samples of eight different strains of cannabis for their guests, she added. Seized cell phone records also showed Adams consulting with his father on how much to ask for when selling an ounce of the drug. Other evidence indicated he engaged in trimming of the plants, Pfeil told the court. “This is quite the family operation,” she said. Edward Pereira ran a backhoe business largely to cover up proceeds from drug sales, the prosecutor said. The hearing concluded with testimony from Edward Pereira’s mother, rancher Pat Pereira, to establish bail would not be posted using proceeds from alleged illegal activity. Her statements satisfied the court that she had come up with funds to post the adjusted bail amount with help of a bail bondsman and a $10,000 unsecured loan from Wells Fargo Bank. More than a half-dozen relatives of the Pereiras attended the hearing. Attorney John Soldati entered a not guilty plea Monday on Adams’ behalf, as his parents had already done the week prior. All three defendants are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 16. |