Raid on house yields 239 marijuana plants

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COLLINSVILLE - A marijuana grower in Collinsville was so productive he rented a house that was used just to grow plants, according to court documents.

Collinsville Police and agents from the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois found 239 marijuana plants when they raided the rented house at 626 Autumn, according to search warrant affidavits filed Wednesday in Madison County.

"He had all of the equipment," said MEGSI agent Jon Boerm. "It was a very significant growing system."

Equipment seized in the raid June 18 included digital thermometers, plant "cloning" solution and an extensive lighting system.

"He had all kinds of chemicals, hundreds of dollars' worth of fertilizers and chemicals," Boerm said.

The target of the investigation lives near the house that was raided, according to an affidavit filed by Boerm. The man has not been charged and was not in custody. Boerm said authorities do not consider him to be a flight risk, but he did not elaborate.

Police have suspected the man of growing marijuana in Collinsville since the mid-1990s. The raided house was rented by the suspect's brother, who also lives nearby.

Police put the house at 626 Autumn under surveillance and determined no one was living there, yet its electricity consumption was greater than that of other houses in the area.

An informant told police the suspect was worried about the electricity consumption, so he sent a son to live in the house. The son bragged to the informant that the growing system was "one of a kind" and produced top-quality marijuana that sold for $250 per ounce.

Boerm said the usual price is $100 to $120 per ounce.

"We suspect he's been in the business since 1994," Boerm said. "I guess he was growing some pretty good stuff. We suspect he was making quite a bit of money."

According to affidavits, the suspect had the capability of "cloning" high-quality plants by taking a cutting from one plant to start a new one. Detectives learned that a 400-plant operation raided last year in Collinsville -- believed to be the city's largest -- got its start with a clone from one of the suspect's plants.

Boerm said the suspect's system was capable of simultaneously growing three "cycles" of plants, with 112 plants in each cycle. A cycle would take about three months to complete and would produce about three pounds of marijuana.

Federal prosecutors are considering charges against the suspect.

Boerm said MEGSI typically raids more marijuana-growing operations than the other regional drug forces in Illinois.

"I couldn't tell you why," he said.

Bellville News
BRIAN BRUEGGEMANN
Jul. 05, 2004
http://www.belleville.com/mld/newsde...ws/9082033.htm