Bend-area man gets 3 years in federal prison for operating illegal BHO lab
Ran Alfalfa-area operation with brothers, selling product as 'THE BHOys'
EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Bend-area man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in federal prison for running an illegal butane honey oil, or BHO extraction lab on rural Alfalfa-area property, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced.
Jacob Genaro Robe, 31, also will face three years’ supervised release after his prison term.
“BHO extraction is a highly volatile and dangerous process that has resulted in explosions injuring and killing Oregon residents," Williams said in a news release.
"When Oregon citizens passed state laws legalizing and regulating the manufacture of marijuana products, including BHO, it was meant to bring those black market operations into the light of day and create safeguards protecting the health and safety of Oregon consumers” the U.S. attorney added.
“Those laws are ineffective without enforcement," Williams said. "As this case demonstrates, there are individuals who will violate laws in pursuit of profits over consumer protections, and we stand ready to hold them accountable.”
According to court documents, Robe and his brother created a vertical operation growing marijuana, manufacturing BHO and distributing it in other states for significant profit.
On March 27, 2018, an Oregon State Police trooper stopped Robe for a traffic violation near Klamath Falls. The officer recognized signs of drug trafficking and eventually located more than $20,000 in cash, BHO and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team had previously received information regarding Robe and his brothers having a BHO lab and selling BHO in other states. Detectives served a search warrant on the brothers’ rural property in the Alfalfa area.
Also found were freezers with marijuana, drying racks with sheets of BHO and jars with their logo “THE BHOys.”
In an unattached two-story structure, about 180 large, mature marijuana plants were located, along with about 280 starter plants.
Law enforcement located an indoor marijuana grow with hundreds of plants, a closed-loop BHO lab, 18 pounds of BHO, 200 pounds of marijuana and 13 firearms, prosecutors said.
Police located the guns in various places in the residence, including positioned near the front door, in the kitchen and in Robe’s bedroom.
Last Nov. 25, Robe was charged by information, and on Jan. 29, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. He also forfeited $23,000 in U.S. currency.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team and OSP investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey Sweet, assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon, and the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office.
