Grower get busted.

videoman

HAYWARD -- Several rooms of marijuana plants grew beneath the flow of bright lamps Wednesday morning off Clawiter Road as the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force cataloged them for evidence before they were destroyed.

At 7:30 a.m. the team served search warrants to bust into two warehouses at 22962 Clawiter Road and arrest the lease-holder, Kevin Morris, at his Brentwood house. The stash at the warehouses added up to 450 mature plants with an estimated street value of $1.35 million, Task Force Operations Supervisor Steve Angeja said.

Only a quarter-pound bag of processed marijuana was found at Morris' 2747 La Costa Drive house, and police had not recovered any financial records by Wednesday morning, Angeja added. The bust concluded a two-month investigation.

Morris, 37, was arrested without incident after he was awakened. He was booked into Santa Rita county jail in Dublin and has no criminal record, and information about his bail and court datewas withheld pending charges.
"We can put a bail enhancement that he has to prove where the money comes from," Angeja added.

He said the county might try to have Morris sent to federal court because prosecutors there usually go after offenders more than in state courts.
Angeja added that a similar case two years ago in state court landed a marijuana grower six months in jail and two years on probation.
Angeja expected that Morris would be charged with production as well as sale of a controlled substance because scales, plastic bags and 40 boxes of wrapping paper were found.

Police were tipped off to the marijuana by an anonymous caller who Angeja said was simply walking past the building and said, "I smell a strong odor of marijuana."

The adjoining warehouses-turned-greenhouses totaled about 5,000 square feet and rented at $2,700 a month. Silver, umbrella-like 1,200-watt lamps hung over clusters of eight to 10 plants. Set on timers, they trick the plants into growing around the clock.

"These plants have superhigh levels of THC," Angeja said, referring to the chemical that makes the plants potent.

Resin coated the plants' leaves and stuck to Angeja's fingers. Nearby were carbon dioxide machines to encourage the plants to grow extra buds and yield more than the average 1 pound of marijuana cultivated from a mature 2-to 3-foot indoor plant.

Angeja said the PG&E bill for the warehouse had run only $50 and that police suspect that the power was being stolen. In addition, small transformers were mounted on the ceiling to power the lamps. All the operational equipment was estimated to cost $20,000.

"Once it is up, it requires almost no effort," Angeja added. "Some growers say the hardest part is just getting rid of all the money."
All the equipment and plants were removed and will be destroyed.
A representative from the warehouse's property management company in Fremont dropped by and said the company did not know anything about the illegal business. Morris had been in the space since about April, about the time it takes to grow a mature marijuana plant, and shared the long building with other small businesses.

The Alameda County Narcotics Task Force focuses on mid- to high- level production, sales and transportation of a kilo or more or marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.

Alex Walters, who works next to the warehouse and had parked in front of the building, said of the smell, "Last night I was sitting in my car and wondering if someone was smoking in my car."

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videoman

I have two things to say on this subject:

(1) "Nearby were carbon dioxide machines to encourage the plants to grow extra buds and yield more than the average 1 pound of marijuana cultivated from a mature 2-to 3-foot indoor plant."
Errrrrr.......................................no way! Well maybe dripping wet.

(2) "Police were tipped off to the marijuana by an anonymous caller who Angeja said was simply walking past the building and said, "I smell a strong odor of marijuana."
Had he been a member here, and read this thread, he might not of gotten caught, well at-least until they caught up with him for stealing the electricity. lol
Peace

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MRX

Would love to have smoke some of that shit!!!

ClosetDWC

this is where i live m dad is in brentwood im in castro valley if you google it im 5 blocks from hayward this shit is always on the news about 3-4 major busts a week!

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Regard,
Closet-DWC

And remember just try and act NORML

Pappy

I lived on Winding Blvd. in San Leandro,....in '67.

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You can't believe anything I say, and only half of what you see me do.

jonnyappleweed

Isn't it funny how they come up with these outlandish estimates on the street values
of the drugs they sieze, and their explaination on growing equipment usage.
Be cautious their not as dumb as they sound.