Minnesota mayor and son enter guilty plea for illegally growing hundreds of marijuana plants

WINNEBAGO, Minn. — A southern Minnesota mayor and his son submitted plea deals on Wednesday for illegally growing marijuana .

Former Winnebago Mayor Scott Robertson, 68, and his son, Jacob Robertson, 47, both pleaded guilty to an amended charge of third-degree misdemeanor possession of cannabis.

The plea deal 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 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. Regulations 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.

The court has yet to approve the plea agreements.

Their next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 5, where a judge will determine their final sentences.