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MEDFORD, Ore. – A Josephine County man was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on Wednesday after being convicted for illegally manufacturing marijuana and filing false tax returns.
Steven Shirley, 52, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay significant restitution. He must repay $290,291 to the IRS for unpaid taxes and $12,896 to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for environmental damage caused by illegal marijuana grows on public lands.
Shirley, president and minister of Earth Peoples Park (EPP), a nonprofit religious organization, began purchasing properties in Cave Junction, Oregon in 2012. Over time, he leased the properties to third parties and used the profits to acquire more land. By 2019, Shirley had amassed a portfolio of 21 properties in Josephine County, generating at least $400,000 annually from these leases.
However, Shirley’s business activities took a criminal turn. In September 2019, law enforcement officials from the Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) discovered large-scale, unlicensed marijuana grows on 16 of Shirley’s properties. In October of that year, law enforcement executed search warrants, seizing more than 15,000 marijuana plants and nine firearms. Investigators also discovered that a portion of these grows occurred on BLM lands, leading to further environmental damage.
Shirley continued his illegal operations even after law enforcement interventions. In June 2021, BLM agents, working with JMET, executed additional search warrants and uncovered more marijuana manufacturing and firearms on EPP properties, including BLM land.
During the investigation, the IRS also reviewed Shirley’s tax filings and the status of EPP’s religious nonprofit designation. They found that EPP did not qualify as a religious organization, instead using its nonprofit status to operate as a for-profit land management business. Shirley also underreported more than $1 million in lease income between 2015 and 2018, resulting in over $290,000 in unpaid taxes.
“This case highlights the commitment of law enforcement to disrupting illegal activities that harm public lands and cheat the tax system,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Shirley exploited his nonprofit status to benefit financially from criminal activities, and his sentence reflects the seriousness of his offenses.”
IRS Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes added, “Shirley’s actions showed a clear abuse of nonprofit exemptions and illegal drug operations. This sentence sends a message that criminal behavior disguised as a religious or nonprofit activity will not go unpunished.”
Shirley was charged in August 2023 with illegally manufacturing marijuana and filing false tax returns. He pleaded guilty in March 2024, and his sentencing brings an end to a lengthy investigation into his illegal activities.
”}]] A Josephine County man was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on Wednesday after being convicted for illegally manufacturing marijuana and filing false tax returns. Read More
