Pot-Growing Operation Discovered in Basement

By Tim Schmidt, Record Editor
Posted 11/1/12

An indoor marijuana-growing operation was discovered last month in a hidden room in the basement of a Warren County home, according to Warren County deputies. Police said the suspect, Glenn Martin …

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Pot-Growing Operation Discovered in Basement

Posted

An indoor marijuana-growing operation was discovered last month in a hidden room in the basement of a Warren County home, according to Warren County deputies. Police said the suspect, Glenn Martin Krafft, 30, of the 19000 block of McGwire, Warrenton, allegedly used two rooms in the basement for the "manufacturing, cultivation and processing of marijuana." Deputies said one room was set up with a dehumidifier, hangers, and a fan for drying the marijuana. The other room, hidden from plain sight, had 11 marijuana plants growing inside it, four large grow lamps, an air filtration system, timers, water supply, an aerator water pump, temperature gauges and information on the process of growing marijuana, according to the probable cause statement. Krafft has been charged with one felony count for manufacturing a controlled substance following the Dec. 30 discovery. He appeared in court Jan. 3 and is scheduled to return on Feb. 6. Detective Scott Schoenfeld said the operation was capable of producing 33 to 44 pounds of marijuana annually depending on the grower's expertise. "It was a medium sized operation," Schoenfeld said. "It was definitely something more than for personal use." The deputies were initially dispatched to the residence around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 following a report of a domestic disturbance, according to Schoenfeld. Once there, a deputy noticed an odor of marijuana. After a request to search the home was denied, officers obtained a search warrant and discovered the indoor operation. Deputies also located numerous marijuana smoking pipes and other apparatus in the home, according to the probable cause statement. Officers said the majority of the paraphernalia was located in Krafft's bedroom, along with several marijuana stalks hidden in a bedroom dresser. Detectives said a fishing line was still tied to the stalks from a recent drying process, the probable cause statement alleges. During an interview, Krafft's wife told deputies she had noticed a spike in the monthly utility bill, according to the probable cause statement. Her inquiry was disregarded by her husband, police said, because he spent a large amount of time in the basement performing construction and other tasks with another man who rented space in the basement. Schoenfeld said possible charges against Krafft's wife are under review by the prosecutor's office. Charges have not been filed against the man who resided in the basement.


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