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Authorities broke up a large, sophisticated marijuana cultivation ring in which people were recruited to operate more than 50 "grow houses" involving thousands of pot plants, investigators said Wednesday.
More than 35 people have been arrested and 4,000 pounds of marijuana seized since the investigation began in May, according to federal prosecutors, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local police. Authorities didn't release an estimate of the total value of the seized drugs.
The scheme involved alleged marijuana financiers in New Jersey who offered people "relocation packages" featuring 100 percent financing for homes in the Port St. Lucie area, officials said. The homes were converted into marijuana "grow houses," which the homeowner agreed to operate for two years.
After that, the homeowner could either sell the place and split the profits with their New Jersey financiers or keep growing pot. The homeowner received about $1,000 of the $4,000 value of a harvested marijuana plant, which each home yielding between $136,000 and $1.3 million per harvest, said Miami U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta.
"We have effectively dismantled a well-organized and well-financed marijuana grow house operation, with tentacles that stretched from South Florida to New York," Acosta said. "But we are not done yet."
The people arrested so far face a variety of federal conspiracy and drug charges. Most of the arrests detailed Wednesday involved people who were the caretakers of the grow houses in Port St. Lucie, some of them with children living in the homes.
The New Jersey residents charged were: Luisa Cardenas Alvarez, 41, of North Bergen; Maria Cardenas, 44, of North Bergen; Jose Guerra, 53, of Union City; Celia Martinez, 49, of Union City; Felicito Ceballos, 58, of West New York; Amado B. Chaviano, 42, of North Bergen; Bartolo A. Concepcion, 47, of Union City; Hermogenes Jaquez, 46, of West New York; Adriana Sanchez, 28, and Carlos Jimenez, 33, of West New York.
Newshawk: 420AM&PM - 420 Magazine
Source: News Day ( NJ )
Pubdate: September 20, 2006
Copyright: Copyright Newsday Inc.
Contact: editor@newsday.com
Website: Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports
More than 35 people have been arrested and 4,000 pounds of marijuana seized since the investigation began in May, according to federal prosecutors, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local police. Authorities didn't release an estimate of the total value of the seized drugs.
The scheme involved alleged marijuana financiers in New Jersey who offered people "relocation packages" featuring 100 percent financing for homes in the Port St. Lucie area, officials said. The homes were converted into marijuana "grow houses," which the homeowner agreed to operate for two years.
After that, the homeowner could either sell the place and split the profits with their New Jersey financiers or keep growing pot. The homeowner received about $1,000 of the $4,000 value of a harvested marijuana plant, which each home yielding between $136,000 and $1.3 million per harvest, said Miami U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta.
"We have effectively dismantled a well-organized and well-financed marijuana grow house operation, with tentacles that stretched from South Florida to New York," Acosta said. "But we are not done yet."
The people arrested so far face a variety of federal conspiracy and drug charges. Most of the arrests detailed Wednesday involved people who were the caretakers of the grow houses in Port St. Lucie, some of them with children living in the homes.
The New Jersey residents charged were: Luisa Cardenas Alvarez, 41, of North Bergen; Maria Cardenas, 44, of North Bergen; Jose Guerra, 53, of Union City; Celia Martinez, 49, of Union City; Felicito Ceballos, 58, of West New York; Amado B. Chaviano, 42, of North Bergen; Bartolo A. Concepcion, 47, of Union City; Hermogenes Jaquez, 46, of West New York; Adriana Sanchez, 28, and Carlos Jimenez, 33, of West New York.
Newshawk: 420AM&PM - 420 Magazine
Source: News Day ( NJ )
Pubdate: September 20, 2006
Copyright: Copyright Newsday Inc.
Contact: editor@newsday.com
Website: Newsday.com: News, Entertainment and Sports