Grow Busts

[FirstTracks]

Growers getting busted is a horrible thing. By learning how and why they were busted, we might be able to avoid similar mistakes. Obviously, most news articles won't give the whole story. They often won't tell how many lights, or actual amount or size of plants. They probably won't even give us the real reason (snitches, etc) that the grower was busted.

Despite the lack of information, we can take the information that is there, and learn how to not make the same mistakes.

I'd like to keep this thread open for anybody to post bust stories, whether they were in the news, personal stories, or whatever. It should also be a good place to discuss those stories and what we can learn from them.

I'd encourage everyone, if you are going to post multiple stories, not to post stories all from your local area unless you are comfortable with everyone, friendly or not, being able to narrow down your location (just like not posting your exact local weather conditions).

Here's one to start us off...

Cops bust ‘sophisticated’ marijuana growing operation

By MARK GUNDERMAN
Posted: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 7:00 pm

Several clues indicated something unusual was going on at a country house in the town of Sigel. But it wasn’t the heavily-curtained windows, the high electrical usage or the fact that no one seemed to live there that did in John R. Leupke, who was renting the place.
It was that fresh marijuana leaf on his collar.
The clue led to a search warrant served at 23391 45th Ave., Cadott, that uncovered what law enforcement is calling a highly sophisticated marijuana growing operation. It seems the house wasn’t used for anything else.
On March 2, the West Central Drug Task Force seized 122 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, with a street value of approximately $50,000, according to Chippewa County Undersheriff Gene Gutsch.
Also found at the residence was about $5,000 worth of grow equipment including a 55-gallon drum of water and liquid fertilizer set up in a closet in the kitchen.
Equipment cycled a combination of water and fertilizer through a timed filtration system, feeding the plants, which grew under a series of lights. Gutsch referred to it as a “hydroponic growing operation.”
One bedroom had 49 adult plants growing and 73 small plants being started. Elsewhere marijuana that had been cut and dried was spread out on a wooden platform, while other marijuana plants hung from a wire in the hallway to dry.
Investigators also found a third bedroom being set up as another grow operation.
A search warrant on file in Chippewa County indicates the only furniture was a couch and a small television set. There was no food in the house or evidence of occupancy.
Gutsch said the growing operation was not one of the largest he’d seen.
“Not by a long shot, but it’s one of the more sophisticated ones. With no one there, it all operated automatically,” Gutsch said. “No one lived there.”
That’s what a confidential informant thought when he or she stopped by the house and knocked on the door on Feb. 20.
According to the search warrant:
No one answered the door, but a black Cadillac was parked there. The home’s windows were all heavily curtained. When the person was in a car about to leave, a young man came out and spoke briefly, saying he did not live there but rented the place.
The informant related to drug agents that the person smelled of fresh, unburned marijuana, and there was a fresh marijuana leaf on the young man’s collar.
On Feb. 25, the informant came back with permission of the owner, who lives in Milwaukee, to collect some scrap from sheds on the property. The young man came out again, and once again smelled of fresh marijuana.
The search warrant states that drug agents were familiar with the informant, and confident the informant knew what marijuana looks and smells like.
The tips were enough for the drug unit to keep an eye on the place and check out the utility bills. They found that previous occupants used between 700-950 kilowatt hours of electricity a month the previous few years. The current renter was using 1,526 a month, despite only seeming to stop by a couple of times a week.
The drug unit then served a search warrant at the house, and after that a search warrant at Leupke’s residence at 807 Menomonie Street in Eau Claire, where more evidence of marijuana use and some psilocybin mushrooms were found.
Leupke was arrested Tuesday when he returned from a trip to Las Vegas only to find his fortunes had changed.
Formal charges are pending in the case.


Read more: http://chippewa.com/news/local/upda...89f-11e1-9aed-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1wqzprKe4

http://chippewa.com/news/local/update-cops-bust-sophisticated-marijuana-growing-operation/article_09d184f6-689f-11e1-9aed-001871e3ce6c.html


Seems like the guy just slipped up, like anyone could, and didn't clean off his clothes before coming out of the garden. Leaf could have even been on his socks, socks touched shirt on the floor or something, guy puts on shirt, and bam, leaf stuck to guys collar.

It bothers me that the cops were using an informant as a knowledgeable source, when the cops themselves are supposed to make the determinations about what weed looks or smells like.

Seems like the guy would have been safer if he just didn't come out of his house at all.


I'll do my best to add stories to this, but its going to work best if everyone contributes.

 

[FirstTracks]

Sheriff’s Office Plays Up Minor Pot-Growing Bust at a Home in Palm Coast’s P Section
FLAGLERLIVE | FEBRUARY 15, 2012

Pot stalk interruptus (FCSO)
“If Cannabis were unknown,” the Economist wrote a few years ago, “and bioprospectors were suddenly to find it in some remote mountain crevice, its discovery would no doubt be hailed as a medical breakthrough. Scientists would praise its potential for treating everything from pain to cancer, and marvel at its rich pharmacopoeia—many of whose chemicals mimic vital molecules in the human body.”
They would also conclude that, while it has its issues–as does, say, coffee–the drug is less harmful than cigarettes or alcohol, considerably less addictive than either, and has more demonstrable benefits than either, especially for people who suffer from cancer, eye diseases or AIDS. That’s partly why marijuana smoked for medical reasons is allowed in about 20 states (and growing), and why 13 states have quit imprisoning or punishing most people with simple marijuana possession.
But decriminalizing pot also means giving cops and jailers considerably less to do, since more than a tenth of state prisons where pot is still criminalized are filled with pot users or dealers (but mostly users). Florida is among the states with the more severe anti-pot laws: possessing so much as a gram (or up to 20) of the stuff lands an individual in jail for a year. Possessing more than 20 grams is a felony worth five years in prison. And cultivating the cannabis plant bumps up the penalties: 25 or more plans results in a 15-year sentence. Even possessing marijuana paraphernalia results in a one-year jail sentence.
So police agencies dutifully continue to hunt down, arrest and prosecute pot users and growers, however small the offense or, overheated law-and-order rhetoric aside, harmless the activity. Media play their part, seldom questioning the validity or usefulness of the hunt and usually playing up the latest catch with bold headlines and reporting retreaded from the previous busts, going back decades. And consumers take in the news, presumably feeling safer while assuming that more criminals, or leafy-green pot plants, are no longer in circulation, though many of those same consumers, among them prominent and respected members of the community, politicians and members of the clergy included, are themselves on friendly puffs with pot.
The news-worthiness of these incidents is therefore questionable. While they shed a light on the use–and misuse–of public resources, the incidents should be placed in their proper context.
With that in mind: late this afternoon the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office disseminated a news release about members of the department’s Narcotics Enforcement Team spending “much of Tuesday cleaning up a marijuana grow operation that was discovered when workers arrived to change locks on the rental house.”

Luis Urra (FCSO)
The 1,800-square-foot house was at 20 Princeton Lane in Palm Coast. Workers discovered 24 starter plants growing in large pots in a bedroom. Note the number of plants: one short of the trigger for the difference in penalty between five and 15 years in prison. No one was in the house when workers got to the property to change the lock. The house, which belongs to a Palm Coast couple who live on Round Tree Drive, was being rented.
The bedroom with the plants had “an elaborate lighting system with an a/c unit running,” a police report states, while an investigator also noticed “in another bedroom numerous ballasts with electrical power being diverted through the ceiling.” Florida Power & Light was contacted and asked to shut the power off.
As two investigators were outside the house, they saw a Cadillac Escalade drive near the property, stop, and make a U-turn. Investigators followed the car, which swerved off the road at one point, on White View Drive, eventually pulling it over at Walmart. David Romero was driving the car. Louis Urra, 39, the renter at Princeton Lane house, was in the passenger seat. Wood pallets and liquid fertilizer were in plain view in the vehicle, according to the police report. A Spanish interpreter arrived (neither men in the vehicle spoke English) and the car, with the two men’s consent, was searched.
Urra produced the key to 20 Princeton Lane and allowed that he lived at that address. He was arrested. He told investigators that Romero, his cousin, had nothing to do with the pot plants. Urra said he’d been renting the house for less than a month since moving there from Miami. His address on his arrest report is listed as 2207 West 53rd Place in Hialeah.
He was taken to the Flagler County jail and charged with cultivating marijuana. He posted $10,000 bail.

http://flaglerlive.com/34363/marijuana-growing-palm-coast/

 

[Chronage]

I got busted years and years back and it was an interesting experience to say the least. I remember sitting down on my couch about to kick it with my buddy from work. Sitting there enjoying my Lifesaver X Devastation BOG buds, and then.....KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
My friend: "Dude did you hear that?"
Me: "Yea, not sure who the fuck would be here on a weekday....wtf...put the bong away ima go check"
As I walked into my hallway by my front door I could see through the window cops with mp5's and my entire court filled/surrounded in cop cars.
and BAM the action starts..

I think the biggest reason will always be people running their mouths, I was younger, and dumber. Dude that ratted me out was a long time jealous friend. He had found my grow by going through my house when i had some people over only to ask me about it when the left one night...I remember being pissed he found out (not letting it known to him) and thinking I could just shrug it aside, bad idea.

As I sat in handcuffs on my couch with my dog going apeshit licking my face not understand I read the warrant. The senior drug officer had apparently been brought in because of his experience bringing down cartels. I laughed in his fucking face. They had been following me and my friends for 6 months. The anon tip they were given basically said I was growing/selling almost any drug you've ever heard of. Though this could not have been further from the truth, some places follow any tip HARD. The only thing they got over those 6 months was the slip up that fucked me into a warrant being made. I had an ex flying up from halfway across the usa and my mother decided to do me a favor...Bless her heart, but FUCK. She ended up throwing away some leaves and whatnot that were in my growroom while cleaning. I happend to also be lucky enough she through away a few paystubs from work. Didn't really matter that our trash was always in a common area with bags when you've got trimmings and all your info in the same bag. Cops would do large trash grabs of all my neighbors and my trash, and finally hit what they'd consider the jackpot. I can say definitely that this slip up got their warrant however the bullSHIT tip is what started most of it. Though the best part? I was tipped off about their presence 2 weeks before it happend. Great to have friends that are cops lmao. So I took down the grow completely, even disassembled my cab. 2 weeks later POW BOOM BANG! As much as legal troubles suck the life from you it was an interesting experience. I told the senior drug officer he was a fucking joke. All these months, 1,000$'s of city dollars, to bust a pot user? Major drug cartel bringer downer brought in to bust a kid who wasn't even growing anymore? The most you could even find in the house was some bowls and a single jar of bud? Bet you guys feel really proud lmao. "You broke the law son" "Yea keep telling yourself that". bah. Glad to be able to put all that behind me now.

 

[benny blanco]

great thread

 

[Mr.Bill]

I love how in the first story the informant is going door to door looking for stuff, and then go's as far as getting permission to go on the property to get stuff out the shed, how'd he know there was stuff in the shed, sounds like that guy had already hopped the fence trying to get a better look at what's going on with the house and surrounding buildings.

 

[Chronage]

It is honestly incredible the kind of horseshit cops will pull these days. I pretty much only always refer to them as gestapo around here. I still laugh my ass off thinking about how n00b/nutz0 the cops were @ my place. I remember hearing the cops seeing a bottle of butane and saying "well he must huff this" no bs, something close. Only to have another officer with a heart point out the butane lighter that refillable next to it and give them an odd stare. Or being upstairs in cuffs and hearing "WE FOUND THE SAFE, WE FOUND THE SAFE!!!!!". "Son, you wanna come down stairs with me and open the safe? We have a warrant, we can break it open if you say no". "Sure"."You're not gonna try anything are you?" LOL As if in handcuffs with my entire towns police force in my home armed I'm gonna do something lol, wtf would I even do? I swear after knowing I was fucked I told myself to relax, dont get in any more trouble, try to have fun though. So I go down there, incredible! they found my safe, amazing police work. That safe was kept quite obvious in the open, didn't have really anything in it. Burned the cops again, not only assholes about it all while talking, but they say some shit like "what's in there? your sales records?". I just looked the guy in the eyes and laughed and said you still apparently don't know where you are. Next I'm asked where the key is, it is litterally laying infront of the safe. It is popped open only to find absolutely nothing illegal, or even related to drugs, good job guys!! Police that have no clue whats going on @ a bust because of sheer stupidity and inexperience are the funniest. They will say absolutely anything, even during regular investigation. Half the studs that do this type of work don't even understand the concept of any of it, or that people that live normal lives grow pot too.

One of the best tips I can give for cops is to not EVER answer the door for them. If they had any right to come in your house they would NOT fucking ASK. Obviously if you're expecting something because you, your child, something, did something, to make them arrive off topic then perhaps you should act like a normal person in their eyes. Step outside your door, show them respect (hard as it is), figure out the bs. But if there is no warranted reason in your mind for them to be there, and it's making you think twice? Fuck EM. Don't make a noise and don't answer a goddamn thing.

 

[Mr.Bill]

Good advice chronage, I remember once the cops were called because we smoked out my place and right after the people left, like 6 or 7 cops came pounding on my door, I ignored them and after 20 min of knocking they left and one squad car I guess you could say staked out my place for another hour. Had I answered the door I could guarantee that I would have gone to jail. I figured hey if they want in they can come bust my door down but other then that they could fuck off.

Nowadays if they came knocking I'd let em in of course. Hell when I set up my flowering room, I called the sheriffs dept and the fire marshal and had them come out, the police to notify them of what I was doing and was in compliance, they took some pictures of the room and I took pictures of them taking pictures, I even got one of the cops bent over smelling one of the plants. Had a funny conversation with one of em. The fire marshal checked the wiring and whatnot making sure there was no fire hazard. Everything checked out okay. Haven't had a problem yet. I just cringe at the thought of the day the legality of my situation changes though as I will probably have to shut down for several years.

But yeah the cops do shady shit that's for sure, I got story after story of shady lying bs I've personally seen in my day, but that's for another day.

 

[dank.frank]

I want to point out...and this has been the case in other busts..

When LEO searches your garbage...they MUST find...suspect name + evidence, ie stem, seed, leaf, etc. They can collect all the evidence they want, but, IT MUST BE IN THE SAME BAG...seems to be the nail in the coffin.

So I'd make sure ANYTHING with mailing address or personal information be BURNED. Not shredded...BURNED. Plain and simple.



dank.Frank

 

[White-rhino]

You have to use discretion in answering the door, there's isn't a hard and fast rule to NEVER answer it.

Just this morning I had a knock on the door as I'm in the grow room. I look out the window and its a city truck. After thinking whether I should answer it, I do and step outside pulling the door shut behind me. Its also one of the electronic combination locks on the door that locks it automatically after 30 seconds.

There's two city workers, and one wants to come in to check for the "water leak" because my usage went from 7 units to 21 units, so there must be a leak. So I say (truthfully) that I just filled a 6000 gallon pool in the back yard, and that would account for the spike in usage, DIDN'T tell him I aslo installed an RO system and filled a 55 gallon barrel which I KNOW isn't doing the advertised 3 to 1 ratio, its more like 10 to 1 or more.

Anyway, the pool was in plain view, and they were statisfied there was no plumbing leak and left. Had I not answered the door, I'm sure the cops would be my next visitor.

 

[username474]

I check this web site once a week http://drugs.globalincidentmap.com/. You can read between the lines and figure out what happened usually.

 

[Chronage]

WR of course discretion is in order, I didn't just merely say NEVER answer no matter what. A lot of times you have to go with your brain/gut on the situation. But if given the gut feeling of sketch, you have the every right not to answer, and sometimes it can be the best choice in certain situations (look @ bill's story). Sounds like you played off your hydro addition quite nicely. If you wouldn't of answered the door you woulda prolly got a phone call/letter from the city stating they needed to come check and when they'd be in your area. Cops don't come to check on water leaks because the city guy got no answer @ the door first try. And honestly that question and your situation posted is a bit sketchy. City workers coming to a home you own, as summer starts, because your water usage tripled? I would hope if that was the actual concern they'd be smart enough to check your records from last year. Before they send people out door to door in even a single family home saying it's summer and you're using triple water can we come in? And your pool is in plain site? Sounds like you got things secured rather well though. Stay safe.

 

[notorious646]

and now people know to not wear leaves

 

[Grass Lands]

with all the home invasions going on these days...I tend not to open the door for anyone unless I know they are coming over...if the cops want in, they are gonna come in.

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Many many years ago two friends of mine were busted for growing and I must assume the laws have changed. One of the friends got hooked up with a guy who was selling weed for the cops and this douche of course told the cops but they apparently couldn't get a warrant until the CI saw the plants. The day after my friend showed the CI the seedlings they were starting for the next round the cops showed up. One of the two friends was an idiot and was telling everyone he was growing. I saw him try to impress some random chick at the bar by telling her so it was only a matter of time before they were robbed or the cops got them. I guess the moral here is know your partner real well before you get into something that could land you both in jail. Both friends got probation and a bunch of fines and a felony record out of it.

 

[BrnCow]

It is honestly incredible the kind of horseshit cops will pull these days. I pretty much only always refer to them as gestapo around here. I still laugh my ass off thinking about how n00b/nutz0 the cops were @ my place. I remember hearing the cops seeing a bottle of butane and saying "well he must huff this" no bs, something close. Only to have another officer with a heart point out the butane lighter that refillable next to it and give them an odd stare. Or being upstairs in cuffs and hearing "WE FOUND THE SAFE, WE FOUND THE SAFE!!!!!". "Son, you wanna come down stairs with me and open the safe? We have a warrant, we can break it open if you say no". "Sure"."You're not gonna try anything are you?" LOL As if in handcuffs with my entire towns police force in my home armed I'm gonna do something lol, wtf would I even do? I swear after knowing I was fucked I told myself to relax, dont get in any more trouble, try to have fun though. So I go down there, incredible! they found my safe, amazing police work. That safe was kept quite obvious in the open, didn't have really anything in it. Burned the cops again, not only assholes about it all while talking, but they say some shit like "what's in there? your sales records?". I just looked the guy in the eyes and laughed and said you still apparently don't know where you are. Next I'm asked where the key is, it is litterally laying infront of the safe. It is popped open only to find absolutely nothing illegal, or even related to drugs, good job guys!! Police that have no clue whats going on @ a bust because of sheer stupidity and inexperience are the funniest. They will say absolutely anything, even during regular investigation. Half the studs that do this type of work don't even understand the concept of any of it, or that people that live normal lives grow pot too.

One of the best tips I can give for cops is to not EVER answer the door for them. If they had any right to come in your house they would NOT fucking ASK. Obviously if you're expecting something because you, your child, something, did something, to make them arrive off topic then perhaps you should act like a normal person in their eyes. Step outside your door, show them respect (hard as it is), figure out the bs. But if there is no warranted reason in your mind for them to be there, and it's making you think twice? Fuck EM. Don't make a noise and don't answer a goddamn thing.

There was a Hitler doc on Dish last night about the SS. I just watched a part of it but it showed how the SS evolved form a cop like bunch to a militarized bunch to a major controlling force and finally into the scourge of Germany...that gestapo remark reminded me of that show. Looked like the cops in the US are evolving into...

 

[FirstTracks]

less than 2 pages for a complete derailment from 'bust stories' to Hitler on the history channel.....

 

[nukklehead]

Or being upstairs in cuffs and hearing "WE FOUND THE SAFE, WE FOUND THE SAFE!!!!!". "Son, you wanna come down stairs with me and open the safe?

Love to see the look on his face when you said OH SHIT officer.. You found my will , insurance policy, passport, previous tax returns, divorce papers... Oh Hell what did I do officer ( sniffling) You found my safe..

 

[Abja Roots]

Double Post.

 

[Abja Roots]

This is my favorite one ever. Tunnels in Miami! Way to plan ahead.

http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/tunnels.htm

By Diana Marrero
Miami Bureau, Miami Sun-Sentinel
January 24, 2002


MIAMI · Neighbors shake their heads in wonder. People
down the street walk by to see the home, gaining a
reputation in the historic Roads neighborhood of Miami
as the site of a mysterious disappearance.

All police know is they can't find the man they
suspect of running an elaborate hydroponics marijuana
lab who went inside the home Tuesday and then
vanished.

Miami police detectives say the man could still be
hunkered down somewhere in the two-story duplex. But,
more likely, he escaped through a maze of shallow
underground tunnels.

Police have tear-gassed the property, at 655 SW 19th
Rd., but the man has not come out. They tried to send
in a police dog but he could not fit through the
tunnels, no more than two feet deep. Police officers
were sent in, but have been unable to follow where the
maze might lead.

"We may well have a tunnel that leads two blocks
down," said Officer Herminia Salas-Jacobson.

What they have found so far is 122 marijuana plants
worth $300,000 on the streets and an intricate system
used in growing the lucrative plant.

Several rooms in the first floor were set up for
cultivation in water, then drying, Salas-Jacobson
said. Police found ladders in the closets leading to
the second floor and a generator, probably used so the
amount of electricity used on the property would go
unnoticed, she said.

"It's quite interesting," said Salas-Jacobson, who
said it's the most elaborate pot house she has
encountered.

Detectives working in the area were told of a funny
smell coming from the home and tried to approach a man
who was coming out of there Tuesday when the man went
back inside and disappeared.

"He was very nervous and pushed one of the officers,"
Salas-Jacobson said.

An officer followed the man inside, but lost him when
he went upstairs to a second floor and disappeared.
Police surrounded the home and asked the SWAT team to
come out, thinking the man was hiding.

They have yet to find him.

In a neighborhood favored by Miami's elite and
influential, neighbors wondered how they could have
lived so close to a marijuana lab without a clue about
what was going on inside.

Police would not release the names of the people who
own the home, saying they're not sure about the
identity of the person they are looking for or whether
he may have rented the home. County property records
list the owners as Elvia and Jeannette Meza, but
indicate that they may rent it out. They could not be
reached for comment.

"I never would have though that there would be such a
thing right next door," said Isabel Fiallo. "This is
like a movie. I'd like to know how they made those
tunnels."

She said she saw four men coming in and out of the
house at strange hours, but thought their work
schedules varied. When she saw them with what looked
like medical gowns, she figured they might have worked
in a hospital, she said. Fiallo said she occasionally
waved at her neighbors, but never really spoke with
them.

"No one would have imagined this," she said.

Carmen Lombana said she didn't know what to think when
she saw a SWAT team descend on her neighborhood,
climbing on people's cars and rooftops.

"It's usually very quiet around here," she said.

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Great story but I am confused about one thing.

An officer followed the man inside, but lost him when
he went upstairs to a second floor and disappeared.
Police surrounded the home and asked the SWAT team to
come out, thinking the man was hiding.

A tunnel from the second floor? This guy is freakin' Houdini.