FRESNO  -  On Thursday, Aug. 1, after a three–day trial, a federal jury found Jose Jesus Carbajal, 33, of Waterford, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, one count of interference with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2014 until December 2017, Carbajal was part of a robbery crew that targeted and robbed marijuana growers of their marijuana and cash. Carbajal and the crew posed as law enforcement officers to gain access to the property, announced they had a search and seizure warrant, then tied up the victims and held them at gunpoint while robbing them of marijuana, cash, and other items.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department, the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force, the Turlock Police Department, the Rio Dell Police Department, and the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. Forensic expertise and investigative assistance were provided by the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services and the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie L. Alsworth and Geoffrey D. Wilson are prosecuting the case.

Carbajal is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on Oct. 28. Carbajal faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on counts one and two, and mandatory consecutive sentence of seven years to life on count three. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.