![]() ![]() ![]() SLO city cannabis code required all applicants to disclose their "financial capacity" to the city in their applications, including "bank balances, available loans, and other sources of funding the enterprise." Meanwhile, the city, MOM, and SLOCal Roots pushed back strongly against that narrative in comments to New Times.Īccording to the recent court filings, MOM and SLOCal Roots inked their loan agreements with Dayspring in February and March 2019, respectively- one to two months after the application window closed in SLO city for prospective cannabis dispensaries. The filings-submitted in SLO County Superior Court in June and July-make the argument that while the city did not punish MOM and SLOCal Roots for allegedly concealing information, it revoked Natural Healing Center's dispensary permit last October as a consequence for his concealing criminal conduct. He attached copies of signed promissory notes and management agreements between the parties to try to back his claims, and he alleged that the other dispensaries failed to disclose their ties to him to the city or the public, as SLO's ordinance requires. "I, Helios Dayspring, was the primary financer for all three successful cannabis applications," he asserted in a court declaration.ĭayspring claimed he was hired in 2019 to oversee and manage the MOM and SLOCal Roots dispensaries, that he held ownership stakes, and that the companies worked collaboratively to cement their positions in the city industry. KINGPIN? In a series of court filings, convicted local cannabis businessman Helios Dayspring claims he gave nearly $2 million in loans to other city cannabis dispensaries, funds that he alleges they failed to disclose to the city.Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.Īssistant United States Attorney Thomas F. “To accomplish that goal, he would not let anything get in his way, including the law.” For example, for the tax year 2018, Dayspring falsely reported his taxable income as $1,262,894, when in fact his income was greater than $6.5 million.ĭayspring “had one goal: build a cannabis empire,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. ![]() The mayor did not respond to the offer, and Dayspring did not end up paying the bribe.ĭayspring also substantially underreported his personal income on his federal tax returns for the years 2014 through 2018, which resulted in the IRS losing more than $3.4 million in tax revenue. The attempted $100,000 bribe took place during a dinner meeting in September 2017. In addition to bribing the San Luis Obispo County supervisor, Dayspring attempted to bribe the then-mayor of Grover Beach in exchange for two dispensary licenses in that city. In exchange, the supervisor voted on matters affecting Dayspring’s farms, including voting multiple times in favor of legislation that permitted Dayspring’s farms to operate before it had obtained final permitting approvals. In total, Dayspring paid the late Third District supervisor multiple bribes in cash and money orders totaling $32,000. To further his interests in the farms that grew cannabis in San Luis Obispo County, Dayspring began paying bribes to a San Luis Obispo County supervisor in the fall of 2016 and continued doing so through November 2019. He also had ownership interests in businesses that sold marijuana to the public, including in Grover Beach. In October 2021, Dayspring pleaded guilty to one count of bribery and one count of subscribing to a false income tax return.ĭayspring owned, operated, and had a controlling interest in multiple farms that grew cannabis in San Luis Obispo County. Dayspring has paid the restitution order of $3,438,793 to the IRS in this case. “Bobby Dayspring,” 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. LOS ANGELES – A San Luis Obispo man was sentenced today to 22 months in federal prison for paying a county supervisor approximately $32,000 in bribes – most of them in cash – in exchange for the supervisor’s votes and influence on other votes affecting his cannabis business interests. ![]()
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