The former Mayor of Winnebago and his son submitted plea deals on Wednesday for illegally growing marijuana.
Sixty eight year old Scott Robertson and his son, 47 year old Jacob Robertson, both pleaded guilty to an amended charge of third degree misdemeanor possession of cannabis, but Judge Troy Timmerman rejected the plea bargain deals.
The plea deals would drop other charges against them stemming from the unlawful cultivation of more than 23 cannabis plants.
The South Central Drug Investigation Unit and the Faribault County Sheriff’s Office located “approximately 240 plants believed to be marijuana” at three different addresses in Winnebago associated with the Robertsons.
According to the charging documents, the Robertsons previously operated a licensed and regulated hemp cultivating operation. They each had a license active in 2023, but it expired at the start of the year. Regulators also require each hemp crop to be registered with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. They had not registered one since 2021.
Court documents state that none of the labeled plants found on the Robertsons’ properties matched the known and registered hemp seeds and plants permitted to be grown in the state.
Their next hearing is scheduled for August 5th.