Butte Creek property owner pleads

The Butte County District Attorney’s office announced this week that a Butte Creek Canyon property owner cited last year for grading large areas of ground near and along the creek without permits has signed a plea agreement stipulating that he pay to restore the land and pay a fine in exchange for avoiding a jail sentence.

John Bessolo was cited last August after authorities were alerted to the work by neighbors. Bessolo is also accused of burying a stream that flowed across his property, which he will now have to uncover. He owns a wedding chapel on the site for which a patio and wall were illegally built into the creek, according to the state Department of Fish & Game.

The DA investigation also revealed that Bessolo failed to pay transient-occupancy taxes to the county for the guests who have stayed at the chapel over the last three years. Bessolo was placed on probation, will be fined $4,000 and is ordered to reimburse the DF&G $2,041, the DA’s Office $4,732 and county counsel $42,000 for court costs.