County cops pop pot producer

Get a look at this “indoor farm” the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit unearthed in Lents …

In the basement of this Lents neighborhood home, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit deputies say they found this 170-plant pot farm. The special “grow lamps” cast a yellow light. MCSO Photo

By David F. Ashton
As we learned from talking with deputies working in the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations in the past – the problem with selling dope is “Buyers have to know you’re in the business for you to make sales.”

Someone, perhaps a competitor or unsatisfied customer, gave deputies an anonymous tip that an indoor pot farm had a blooming business going in the Lents Neighborhood, near the area of SE 100th Ave. and SE Holgate Blvd.

SIU agents set up a surveillance operation and investigated the home until they had enough evidence to get a search warrant for the illegal marijuana grow operation.

“On March 18, at 8:00 pm, SIU deputies made entry,” reported MCSO spokesman, Dep. Paul (Mac) McRedmond. “In the basement of the home, deputies found a huge marijuana grow operation with over 170 juvenile and mature, budding marijuana plants, some over 5′ tall.”

This marijuana has been harvested. Deputies say they hang it upside down to dry. MCSO Photo

Apparently, these books did little to help keep this indoor farmer from getting busted! MCSO Photo

Guns and money located
“They also found a pound of marijuana harvested and ready for sale, $3,000 in cash and four handguns and seven rifles, including a Belgian FN 308 assault rifle,” McRedmond told us. He estimated the pot’s value at $280,000.

In addition to what deputies characterized as “several thousand dollars worth of growing equipment” – McRedmond couldn’t help but break into a small smile as he added – “They also found a small library of book on how to avoid police detection.”

Officials say the homeowner, a white male in his 40’s was arrested and cited, but not lodged in jail because he agreed to cooperate with deputies in furthering their investigation.

MSCO deputies say this was a sophisticated marijuana-growing operation. MCSO Photo

Comments are closed.