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Pot farm near University of Memphis tunneled beneath property
By Christopher Conley
Posted December 23, 2009 at midnight
From the street, the one-story brick home on the quiet street near the University of Memphis gives no hint that a secret pot farm flourished underneath the floorboards.
But that's what Memphis Police Organized Crime Unit officers found when they raided the home at 3431 Douglass following a tip Monday from a concerned citizen about a "marijuana grow."
Inside the house, officers uncovered a secret tunnel -- accessed through a trap door -- that led to a sophisticated underground pot farm.
Through the trap door, a 50-foot carpeted tunnel led to a work area under the home, complete with a ventilation system, fans and air conditioners.
The tunnel also led to the rear of the residence, where two additional passageways were found.
Officers seized about $150,000 worth of marijuana -- 30 pounds of processed pot and 23 plants -- along with scales, grow lights, fertilizer and other indications of a pot farm.
Police had not charged anyone Tuesday night, but said arrests are imminent. They issued an arrest warrant on marijuana charges on Monday for 68-year-old Bobby Brock, 3431 Douglass. He is described as a white man with gray hair and hazel eyes, standing 5-feet-8 and weighing 160 pounds.
"It's shocking to hear there was some giant underground complex" beneath the house directly across the street from him, neighbor John Mensi said.
But, come to think of it, he said, an unusual number of people would walk up to the house, knock on the door and wait.
He described the resident of the house as an elderly man. Another neighbor described him as a "Farmer John type."
"There are other neighbors I would suspect more than him," Mensi said.
He said the house was vacant for a long time. Then, the current resident showed up and made some superficial repairs, patching the roof, for one thing.
"He seemed like a nice older gentleman," Mensi said.
In March, Shelby County Sheriff's Office Narcotics and Street Crimes bureaus found a marijuana farm following a raid at two houses.
They found an indoor marijuana farm at 142 Rembert that included timers, transformers, a watering system, dehumidifiers, air filters and reflective wall coverings. The 20 high-pressure, 1,000-watt sodium lights used in the operation were powered by electricity illegally tapped from a nearby utility pole.
As part of his three-year sentence following a guilty plea, Robert Colio, 52, was required to pay restitution to Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division of nearly $20,000. His son-in-law, Yordanis Ruiz, 34, who also pleaded guilty, was also sentenced to three years in prison.
By Christopher Conley
Posted December 23, 2009 at midnight
From the street, the one-story brick home on the quiet street near the University of Memphis gives no hint that a secret pot farm flourished underneath the floorboards.
But that's what Memphis Police Organized Crime Unit officers found when they raided the home at 3431 Douglass following a tip Monday from a concerned citizen about a "marijuana grow."
Inside the house, officers uncovered a secret tunnel -- accessed through a trap door -- that led to a sophisticated underground pot farm.
Through the trap door, a 50-foot carpeted tunnel led to a work area under the home, complete with a ventilation system, fans and air conditioners.
The tunnel also led to the rear of the residence, where two additional passageways were found.
Officers seized about $150,000 worth of marijuana -- 30 pounds of processed pot and 23 plants -- along with scales, grow lights, fertilizer and other indications of a pot farm.
Police had not charged anyone Tuesday night, but said arrests are imminent. They issued an arrest warrant on marijuana charges on Monday for 68-year-old Bobby Brock, 3431 Douglass. He is described as a white man with gray hair and hazel eyes, standing 5-feet-8 and weighing 160 pounds.
"It's shocking to hear there was some giant underground complex" beneath the house directly across the street from him, neighbor John Mensi said.
But, come to think of it, he said, an unusual number of people would walk up to the house, knock on the door and wait.
He described the resident of the house as an elderly man. Another neighbor described him as a "Farmer John type."
"There are other neighbors I would suspect more than him," Mensi said.
He said the house was vacant for a long time. Then, the current resident showed up and made some superficial repairs, patching the roof, for one thing.
"He seemed like a nice older gentleman," Mensi said.
In March, Shelby County Sheriff's Office Narcotics and Street Crimes bureaus found a marijuana farm following a raid at two houses.
They found an indoor marijuana farm at 142 Rembert that included timers, transformers, a watering system, dehumidifiers, air filters and reflective wall coverings. The 20 high-pressure, 1,000-watt sodium lights used in the operation were powered by electricity illegally tapped from a nearby utility pole.
As part of his three-year sentence following a guilty plea, Robert Colio, 52, was required to pay restitution to Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division of nearly $20,000. His son-in-law, Yordanis Ruiz, 34, who also pleaded guilty, was also sentenced to three years in prison.
