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Hernando Today

Grow House Bust Yields 700 Plants

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By LINNEA BROWN

Published: February 22, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - Four people are in custody after police busted a grow house operation in Brooksville Thursday.

Deputies spent hours removing 700 marijuana plants from the home, located at 8264 Nightwalker Lane. The home in a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood off State Road 50, near Weeki Wachee.

Authorities from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and Tampa Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the home at 8 a.m. They found a hydroponic grow house with about 700 plants, said DEA spokesperson Jeannette Moran.

"This is a very, very large grow," she said. "We don't usually see this many plants in one location."

Four people have been arrested and are pending federal charges, though their names have not been released yet.

Moran declined to speculate if any other homes are connected.

"The case is ongoing, so there's not a lot I can tell you," Moran said.

Each plant will yield approximately a pound of marijuana when harvested. Since the plants were being grown hydroponically, they can be harvested 3 to 4 times per year, she said.

"You're talking 700 pounds of marijuana. One pound goes for approximately $3,500 wholesale in Hernando County," Moran said. "And there's no way for us to figure out retail, but it would be even more than that."

The plants were seized and taken to storage, where they will be used as evidence in the case.

Robby Primosch, a neighbor, said the arrest made sense.

"There are always a lot of cars outside that home at all sorts of weird hours. Really early in the morning and late at night," he said.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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