Federal agents bust Denver grows via store sales

wintermute · Sep 4, 2009

Agents Shut Down South Denver Pot Operation

"Agents were doing surveillance on a horticulture store in Aurora and followed customers who bought hydroponic growing supplies.

Many who grow marijuana often use hydroponic equipment.

Civil rights attorney David Lane said this is a common tactic. "There is nothing illegal about seeing who comes and goes from a hydroponic store. There is nothing illegal about following them to their houses, or finding out where they live. There is nothing illegal about walking up a driveway and sniffing out a garage to see if it smells like marijuana," said Lane."

Very weak cause but not surprising. Green merchant tactics again? This seems like a waste of limited resources, Mr. President!

Paco · Sep 4, 2009

it happened to me last year in GA, no suprise. but those bastards are doing it here now and it is fucking unbelievable.

Hella THC · Sep 4, 2009

arggg... blood... BOILING!

HeD333 · Sep 4, 2009

Umm profiling or no? Seems like this could be a pretty nasty legal issue...

Lazyman · Sep 4, 2009

Paco said:
it happened to me last year in GA, no suprise. but those bastards are doing it here now and it is fucking unbelievable.

Holy shit bro, if possible, MOVE. That's not safe to be around.

redandblack303 · Dec 7, 2009

It was at the big tomato grow store.

SOTF420 · Dec 7, 2009

Another good reason to buy your stuff online, much harder to track.

Dnutz · Dec 7, 2009

wow... makes me nervous!! NEVER going to a hydro shop again!!! I always find it suspect that a cop car, being marked either way, is sitting right across the street from The Grow Store in lakewood every single day... Sketched me out, and looks like my gut instinct was right! Looks like the DEA just ruined someones small business... puttin americans back to work the proper way I guess...

ELBURRO · Dec 7, 2009

It sucks but it happens all the time. There are some simple rules dont go in your car and dont go to the grow right after words. It very simple you have to becareful.

RugerBaby · Dec 7, 2009

Just when I was thinking about going to the local hydro shop!!! I think I'll just order online..

Twisted Metal · Dec 7, 2009

SOTF420 said:
Another good reason to buy your stuff online, much harder to track.

j6p · Dec 7, 2009

Most of these hydro surveillance busts are netting 150+ plants. The cops probably just sit by the stores and identify the frequent customers (or someone buying a truckload of gear at once) then they go check out the house, garbage, electricity, and find enough evidence to search.

mikeross · Dec 7, 2009

"Kevin Randall and Luke Short were arrested. If convicted, each man could be sentenced to 40 years in prison."

40 years for 200 plants, Is that even possible?

I know they found guns and other substances but 40 years... thats crazy.

OregonMediGrowr · Dec 7, 2009

This is a tactic i would suspect in a state like Ga or Tx with more draconian laws by US standard, but Co is a top 5 medi state. It realy saddens me that even in a state with a vibrant medical community that cops are still using tactics like this. I started growing in Co.. i moved down there in 06 after highschool but noticed first hand the underhanded busts and bull that the police lived by I got the hell out and got carded back in my home state of oregon.. and never looked back.
If you live in Co and are even around weed take note of all the bs thats going on with the persicution of smokers and growers, its as bad as its ever been. We all have a great opertunity at this time to overgrow but only if we get involved and get alittle more pissed about things like this and stir the shit.

Does anyone have a link to the most current link to the story?

johnnyla · Dec 7, 2009

it sucks for them but anyone growing more than 99 better be able to do the time. 5 years mandatory and the judge can't give you less even if he wants. sad but true it's almost 2010. what a waste of tax dollars.

dopey the clown · Dec 7, 2009

Nothing worse than coming in like an arrogant jerk and saying "I told ya so! Knew it all along!"

Risking that appearance, can anyone honestly say they didn't know this was happening? Hydro shop profits consist of 2% retirees growing bad ass tomatoes in the den and 98% pot growers, most of whom(no offense friends), are dumb as a sack of shit and will make no real effort to disguise themselves.

How on earth could they justify not staking these places out while cannabis is still illegal?

Relentless · Dec 7, 2009

ya ive heard of a couple of local places helping even.. i hardly ever go, and if i do its towns away and make several stops in between.. i think im gonna start getting my stuff elseware. i do think online is prob safer

quest · Dec 7, 2009

I guess you gotta buy license plates off ebay or anywhere for that matter and glue magnets to the back of them and put them on your vehicle before you go shopping for lights, soil, fertilizer ,etc.

We already know that over 100 plants and guns are a no no. Plus, with just a little planning the 400k could have been waiting for them when they got out. The other controlled substance could be anything, ie. vicoden, speed, coke, even bubble maybe.

Lord Doobie · Dec 7, 2009

Holy crap, Batman...
I just went to a hydro shop in Boulder. I parked in the middle of a large parking lot wondering if this was enough stealth...but then found there were only 3 shops in the strip mall and it wouldn't take much to guess which one I went to.
I'm never going to another hydro shop again...

Ash³ · Dec 7, 2009

Whenever i used to take trips to the hydro store, I would park my car blocks away, and would always make sure my purchase was covered in a garbage bag (a lot of times the person helping me would offer them).

One time the guy at the hydro store offered to help me take the stuff to my car. LOL. I went from acting casual and nonchalant to acting froggy and nervous. I quickly and assertively declined his offer and got the hell out of there.

I didn't have my car plates registered to my grow house either. So even if I had been followed, that would impede the investigation from getting very far (without going too much further into detail). Still, I wore sunglasses and the whole bit. I would usually drive 30 miles away from the nearest hydro store, just for the security (well, also they had a bigger selection). I really tried to keep down my store visits. I would do all my shopping at once and in advance so I didn't have to stop by for something quick. Even if I had to make 2 or 3 trips carrying things from the store to the car, it's what I would do to limit my exposure.

Federal agents bust Denver grows via store sales

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