By Darling Gonzalez
RIVERSIDE, CA – Police said here in Riverside County Superior Court last week a specialty pillows and beauty supply business was, in effect, fronting for an illegal pot business.
Undercover officers testified, in a preliminary hearing for Craig Guggolz, that they found the illegal cannabis business in a location that was originally the pillow business of Guggolz’ wife.
The undercover officers in the operation had three separate undercover purchases from a business suspected to be selling cannabis located near a shopping center.
The purchases were set up to be delivered to different undercover officers in three locations. 
The first delivery was at the Honey Baked Ham store parking lot, the second was in a Walmart, and the third was in the Honey Baked Ham store parking lot.
After making the third order, one undercover officer surveilled a location suspected to sell cannabis.
The undercover officer observed a white male come out of the suspected location of the cannabis business and watched him as he went into a black Honda Civic.
The officer proceeded to observe the white male as he drove to the Honey Baked Ham store parking lot, made the transaction with the undercover officer, then drove back to the suspected location, 71357 Highway 111 Suite M.
There was a fourth and final order by the undercover officer for a cannabis product planned to be delivered in the Honey Baked Ham store parking lot.
While waiting in the parking lot, the undercover officer received a phone call from the business stating that there were no delivery drivers available so he would have to go to their business which was in the address 71357 Highway 111 Suite M.
The undercover officer proceeded to do so.
The undercover officer testified, “I observed the undercover cop pull in, he did not get out of the car, but just pulled into the parking lot. I observed an unidentified female at that time exit Suite M, come down the stairs with a white bag, and give it to our undercover in exchange for money.”
A search warrant was then issued May 27, 2020, for the location 71357 Highway 111 Suite M, the officer said.
During the search, the undercover cop received a statement from an employee at the business who said he was only a delivery driver for the business and that he knew the owners of the business to be Craig Guggolz and Susan Leslie.
When asked about Leslie’s role in the business the witness stated she was “[t]he one that was essentially answering the phones and conducting the logistics for the delivery service.”
The undercover officer stated that the witness said they would have 10 to 20 customers daily and approximately $60 to $100 per transaction.
The undercover officer described the location as a converted office building with business cards, invoices, six pounds of cannabis, and close to $1,100.
As the search took place, Guggolz and Susan Leslie approached the area—Guggolz allegedly said he was the owner of the business and that the business had been in operation for six years.
The prosecution then asked the undercover officer about how Guggolz obtained the location to run the operation.
The undercover cop replied, “He said it was originally his wife’s suite. She sold specialty pillows and beauty items that she invented herself.”
During the undercover officer’s interview with Leslie, she stated that the taxes for the cannabis business were paid using her pillow business and that $18,000 were paid in taxes in 2019.
