Former Barstow mayor pleads not guilty to illegal pot cultivation, tax evasion

Former Barstow mayor pleads not guilty to illegal pot cultivation, tax evasion

Former Barstow Mayor Paul Courtney and four other people have pleaded not guilty to felony tax evasion and illegal marijuana cultivation charges in connection with a July 2022 raid at a warehouse owned by a Chinese countertop manufacturing company. Courtney, who served as mayor of the city from December 2020 until December 2024 but decided not to run again, pleaded not guilty in Victorville Superior Court on July 31 to one felony count of cultiv…