Roughly 48,000 pounds of marijuana — valued at more than $60 million — was seized and destroyed over the course of five days as authorities cleared out what they described as an illegal marijuana operation in Sutter County suspected of hiding under the guise of a hemp processing plant.

Lucas “Luke” Maxwell Wilson, a hemp farmer charged with marijuana and tax evasion crimes related to the alleged operation, was released Friday from the Sutter County Jail after retaining a bondsman to post his $1 million bail.

Wilson, 45, had lobbied local support and successfully worked with county officials earlier this year to overturn a yearlong hemp ban in the county, where hemp farming had been allowed despite the county’s hardline stance against marijuana-related businesses.

Sutter Superior J

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