Deputies: Palm Harbor pot grow house busted

Growing equipment seized in grow house bust. [Pinellas County Sheriff's Office]

PALM HARBOR -- A Pasco County man was arrested today after Pinellas County sheriff's deputies raided what they said was a marijuana grow house near Lake Tarpon and seized more than a half-million dollars worth of the drug.

Deputies began an investigation after getting a tip in January and served a search warrant at 85 S Canal Drive about 8:30 a.m. today, officials said.

Inside the house, they found a crudely fashioned operation to grow hydroponic marijuana. Deputies pulled out 29 live plants, 131 marijuana root balls and more than 136 pounds of harvested marijuana. They said the the drugs had a total street value of more than $500,000.

Deputies also seized three guns, two crossbows and a large amount of growing equipment.

During the search, deputies arrested 32-year-old Timothy Edward Stacy (above left) of 4250 Newgate Drive in Holiday.

Stacy, officials said, rented the house and converted two of its rooms to grow the marijuana. Because of the electrical hazard he created, Progress Energy representatives were called to the scene to inspect the home's wiring. As a result, the utility disconnected power to the house until the owner can have an electrician repair the damage.

Stacy was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on counts of manufacturing and trafficking in marijuana. His bail was set at $20,000.

- Times staff writer

Some of the packaged marijuana seized in the raid. [ Pinellas County Sheriff's Office]

Comments

[Butch]

Dude!.....I forgot what I was going to say.

Righteous bust dude.

[Steve Tamayo]

our streets are so much safer now

Isn't there a pedophile you boys could be tracking down?

Think of how much money you're costing Dorito's!

[TechRider]

It is this type of anti-commercial activity that has caused the inflationary rise in price in the dope market.

[Tommy7757]

According to the math, mary jane cost over 3Gs a lb. If that is true because of police actions a lot of dope dealers are making bank. What smucks! Mary Jane does less harm than alcohol yet it is legal because the have a strong lobby. Less harn than nasty cigerrettes because they have a strong lobby. Instead of tracking down and arresting real criminals that commit acts of violence towards law abiding citizens; they go after a pot head dealer. Thank you - thank you all "pigs".

[bayerexec]

Thank goodness they will never indict us for killing people with "legal" drugs.

I thought a "mary jane" was that yummy little peanut butter candy you eat a lot of after huffing down a ruben?

[MJE]

IDIOT!!!!

It's for sure not worth over 3K a lb. I don't smoke and I know that. Don't know what they value the roots and plants at.

And what's the point of valuing it? Not like they're gonna sell it.

[Rodger]

Kewl, thats $250,000.00 from pasco, another mill from hillsborough county the other day and now $5000,000.00. Thats 1.75 million towards our taxes. ok get to it police, we all know you sell pot by way of uncover cops so get to it and pay our tax bills. or is the florida government not that smart.

[Transformerman]

When are they going to decriminalize cannabis and place heavy taxes on it? This will create business for indoor grow equipment manufactures. After all it's only a plant.

[Mr. S]

The Times just printed an article yesterday about all these folks dying at the hands of addictions based on legal pills. We see articles every day about someone doing something stupid or killing someone on booze. When will we get this one right? If we legalize it, at least Jim Bob won't burn his neighborhood down tampering with the wiring in his rented grow house. Who would have thought a guy from Pasco would pay the rent hike to grow on the water in Pinellas? HAhahahaha

[Is So]

There is a lot of overhead in growing the stuff illegally. If it was legal, you would grow it in your backyard and bypass all the taxes. Plus you would have Christmas Weed for your friends and family. Screw the oranges, mail them a shoe box full of hemp. They will be expecting it.

all of this money and they still want a pay increase,,,

tommy-put down the bong and pick up a dictionary and/or thesaurus

[Is NOT So]

People can grow their own tobacco and avoid cigarette taxes. Have you ever seen it done? You can also brew your own beer but very few die-hards even bother (more than once). Some will settle for homemade but that is their choice. Most will take advantage of the convenience and low prices an open market would offer.

[CANIBIS SATIVA]

How can you discribe the smell? is it deliscious aroma?It's like your brain can see ,with your eyes closed. Over 30 years ago, but a good segment of life.

Whew! I'm sure glad they got the two cross bows.

[B-Real]

Paging Dr.Greenthumb... Hello Doctor.. Damn those pesky Porkers. He should've used a sizzlean screen.

[Is So]

To is not so:
I agree with you. Tobacco is a lot of work though. Plus smoking three packs a day with filters and menthol would consume most of your day. Brewing is a full time ordeal also. Weed on the other hand can be nurtured easily. If it was legal you could probable buy it on the roadside like mangoes or grapefruit. $5 for a four finger bag.

[lulu]

oh well

[Steven Tamayo]

and we all know our genuine florida cops will never take any for themselves

[Is not so]

O-kee-dookee. So its easy to grow but not easy to grow correctly, same as beer, etc. Selling weed along with tasty fruits sounds like a sound business plan. Hope you do well.

[AA]

That buster raw cuh. He da real deal. I dont think he that bad though cuh like he like aint really doin dat stuff. Like dudes out here in da hood be crackin heads fo some other stuff but dey aint capture dem. And that state legislature dude is not da one dat did thee tippin. That buster lying cuhhh