2 Convicted for Running Indoor Marijuana Farms

Two San Fernando Valley men were convicted Wednesday of taking part in a sophisticated marijuana growing enterprise that operated indoors in three suburban homes.

A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Daniel Carson Adams, 58, of Woodland Hills and his son-in-law, Earl Martin Torgerson, 51, of North Hollywood.

Six defendants have now been convicted in the marijuana growing scheme, which operated out of residences in Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills and La Puente.

More than 1,800 plants were being cultivated inside the rented homes using hydroponics, a system of growing plants in nutrient solutions instead of earth.

The method has become increasingly popular among marijuana farmers as law enforcement authorities intensify their crackdown on outdoor growing in Northern California.

Trial testimony revealed that Drug Enforcement Administration agents picked up the trail of the defendants by staking out a hydroponics equipment store in North Hollywood and following one of the suspects after he purchased supplies.

Los Angeles police narcotics officers entered the case about the same time after getting a tip that marijuana was being grown in a two-story house on Morrison Street in Sherman Oaks.

The two agencies joined forces and raided the house Sept. 8, seizing 665 marijuana plants in a sealed and windowless section of the home.

Further investigation led to another house on Calvert Street in Woodland Hills, where 619 plants were found, and to a home on Don Julian Street in La Puente, where 518 plants were being cultivated.

Torgerson and Adams were convicted on three felony counts and are scheduled to be sentenced March 15 by U.S. District Judge Manuel Real. Torgerson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison; Adams faces a minimum term of five years behind bars.

The chief witness against them was Gary Manuel Margado, 62, of Bel-Air, leader of the conspiracy. He pleaded guilty earlier and also faces a minimum 10 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Lowe, who prosecuted the case, told jurors that Torgerson, who has a college degree in chemistry, served as Margado’s chief lieutenant, supervising day-to-day growing operations at the indoor sites.

Lowe said documents recovered during police searches indicated that Margado took a 65% cut and Torgerson received 35% of the proceeds after the others in the scheme were paid. Lowe said the operation grossed about $60,000 a month.

Defense attorneys said Torgerson and Adams knew nothing about the marijuana growing operation.

Adams’ lawyer said her client was hired by Margado to be a caretaker at the Woodland Hills house, that he had no access to the marijuana growing operation and that he had lived in the home only six days before it was raided.

Torgerson contended that he was supervising remodeling projects at other two homes Margado owned and that he, too, was unaware of the operation.

In addition to Margado, those pleading guilty previously were Don Edward Baxter, 29, who lived in the Sherman Oaks house; Michael Onil Estrada, 28, who lived in the La Puente house, and Victor Demeter, 32, of Tustin, Margado’s son-in-law. They, too, are awaiting sentencing.