On Friday, two defendants, Jose Alfredo Zepeda and Clemente Ferrias Arroyo, were ordered detained during their initial appearance in Sacramento on federal charges of conspiracy and manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants and possession of firearms in connection with those charges, after state court charges were dismissed. A third suspect was shot and killed, apparently during a gun battle with law enforcement officers. Count 3 charges that the two defendants are criminally liable for the deceased's discharge of a firearm. Indictment 09CR273 The case is being prosecuted by AUSA Samuel Wong while the two defendants are represented by attorneys Michael Chastaine and Dan Koukol. Assigned to U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez.
I can't tell what happened to the other four defendants who were also charged in Lassen County, see Sac Bee, 6/25/09. Today's Sac Bee reports that all Lassen County charges were dismissed and all six were brought into federal custody, but the other four are not named in the same indictment.
Here's a video narrated by the Lassen County Sheriff about the arrests: