FruityBud
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East County is not only a great place to live, work and play, but its increasingly becoming a great place to grow dope in your home at least until youre busted.
Last week, county sheriffs detectives seized more than 6,000 marijuana plants valued at $10 million that were being grown in homes in Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood and Oakley. In addition, detectives confiscated cultivation equipment worth several hundred thousand dollars, five vehicles, two assault rifles and a handgun, according to a press release.
The biggest haul was found in a home on Minaret Road in Oakley where nearly 3,000 marijuana plants were discovered. Police arrested Patric Cuspard, 36, and Philip Cuspard, 34, for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales and tampering with electrical lines. Ricky Atkinson, 32, was arrested for possession of marijuana. All three are Antioch residents.
The next biggest stash 2,000 plants was found in a home on the 500 block of Lakeview Drive in Brentwood. Daniel Davila, 36, of Antioch was arrested for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales, tampering with electrical lines and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In Antioch, about 900 marijuana plants and five pounds of processed marijuana were discovered in a residence on the 4500 block of Mirror Court. Another 400 plants were found in a residence in the 1800 block of Mt. Goethe Way.
The final bust took place in a home in the 4000 block of Sandmound Boulevard in Bethel Island, where five pounds of marijuana was found. Police arrested Ronald Spears, 51, of Oakley for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales and probation violation.
This investigation clearly demonstrates the criminal enterprise associated with the medical marijuana industry, said Captain Daniel Terry of the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division in a press release.
Police found the houses boarded up, given limited access, and equipped with high-wattage lamps connected to electrical power lines that were illegally tapped.
Marijuana cultivation operations pose a significant risk to the community as well as a threat to first responders of law enforcement agencies and fire departments, said Terry. These firetraps are a danger to the occupants and neighboring residents.
In the past few months, county sheriffs investigations have uncovered five other cases of marijuana growing operations in homes in East County.
It appears to be on the rise, said Oakley Police Chief Chris Thorsen, although the bust at the house on Minaret Road is only the second marijuana-growing operation discovered in the city in his three-tenure as chief. Both of those have been in the last 12 months or so. I have learned thats been an issue thats a little bit on the rise all over the place.
Thorsen could not confirm that the growing operations are connected with medical marijuana clinics. I dont have any idea, he said, but they are getting their dope from somewhere.
He also doesnt know if the operations in boarded up houses have anything to do with the high number of foreclosures on East County homes.
I dont know the details on this Minaret house, he said. The last one was an absentee-landlord type of deal. I dont know if that has to do with the foreclosures. But it would be interesting to know how many are rentals. I dont know what the statistics are.
When asked if the recent busts indicate a significant crime problem or an aberration, Thorsen said, Crime is always a problem. We have only had two of them in my entire tenure. I wont say its a crime wave, but its something we are paying attention to.
Signs of a marijuana growing operation include a house with boarded up or covered over windows, emitting an odor of marijuana, and being visited once or twice a week although no one is living there. Authorities are also on the lookout for houses with unusually high PG&E bills due to the large electricity load required by the indoor plant lights.
If (residents) suspect a marijuana operation in their neighborhood, they should call the police, said Thorsen.
http://www.brentwoodpress.com/article.cfm?articleID=18769
Last week, county sheriffs detectives seized more than 6,000 marijuana plants valued at $10 million that were being grown in homes in Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood and Oakley. In addition, detectives confiscated cultivation equipment worth several hundred thousand dollars, five vehicles, two assault rifles and a handgun, according to a press release.
The biggest haul was found in a home on Minaret Road in Oakley where nearly 3,000 marijuana plants were discovered. Police arrested Patric Cuspard, 36, and Philip Cuspard, 34, for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales and tampering with electrical lines. Ricky Atkinson, 32, was arrested for possession of marijuana. All three are Antioch residents.
The next biggest stash 2,000 plants was found in a home on the 500 block of Lakeview Drive in Brentwood. Daniel Davila, 36, of Antioch was arrested for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales, tampering with electrical lines and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In Antioch, about 900 marijuana plants and five pounds of processed marijuana were discovered in a residence on the 4500 block of Mirror Court. Another 400 plants were found in a residence in the 1800 block of Mt. Goethe Way.
The final bust took place in a home in the 4000 block of Sandmound Boulevard in Bethel Island, where five pounds of marijuana was found. Police arrested Ronald Spears, 51, of Oakley for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales and probation violation.
This investigation clearly demonstrates the criminal enterprise associated with the medical marijuana industry, said Captain Daniel Terry of the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division in a press release.
Police found the houses boarded up, given limited access, and equipped with high-wattage lamps connected to electrical power lines that were illegally tapped.
Marijuana cultivation operations pose a significant risk to the community as well as a threat to first responders of law enforcement agencies and fire departments, said Terry. These firetraps are a danger to the occupants and neighboring residents.
In the past few months, county sheriffs investigations have uncovered five other cases of marijuana growing operations in homes in East County.
It appears to be on the rise, said Oakley Police Chief Chris Thorsen, although the bust at the house on Minaret Road is only the second marijuana-growing operation discovered in the city in his three-tenure as chief. Both of those have been in the last 12 months or so. I have learned thats been an issue thats a little bit on the rise all over the place.
Thorsen could not confirm that the growing operations are connected with medical marijuana clinics. I dont have any idea, he said, but they are getting their dope from somewhere.
He also doesnt know if the operations in boarded up houses have anything to do with the high number of foreclosures on East County homes.
I dont know the details on this Minaret house, he said. The last one was an absentee-landlord type of deal. I dont know if that has to do with the foreclosures. But it would be interesting to know how many are rentals. I dont know what the statistics are.
When asked if the recent busts indicate a significant crime problem or an aberration, Thorsen said, Crime is always a problem. We have only had two of them in my entire tenure. I wont say its a crime wave, but its something we are paying attention to.
Signs of a marijuana growing operation include a house with boarded up or covered over windows, emitting an odor of marijuana, and being visited once or twice a week although no one is living there. Authorities are also on the lookout for houses with unusually high PG&E bills due to the large electricity load required by the indoor plant lights.
If (residents) suspect a marijuana operation in their neighborhood, they should call the police, said Thorsen.
http://www.brentwoodpress.com/article.cfm?articleID=18769