anybody have any info on electric companies snitching?

[still pluggin]

Or likely that is just their made-up bullshit part because the e-bill records were obtained without any real reason.

None of it is probable cause for a warrant alone, but they make shit up to look like its something its not in order to make it look good on paper and justify their raid. A lot of times they are right and everything goes smoothly in terms of legality of their "investigation"... In this case - they were dead wrong.

Exactly.

I've read many stories where the smell of marijuana, "suspicious activity" (ie, keeping 3rd shift hours) and a high electric bill is enough to get a warrant. So do the math: cops need zero evidence to get your bills, so the first part is done. After they get your bill, they conduct an illegal snoop to make sure you're growing. They lie and say they smell weed from the street. That part is done. Finally, just make up some shit about lots of cars coming and going.

And boom, you're in prison. Just like that.

 

[Guest 18340]

It always starts with cops getting wind that you might be growing, or someone sees something they consider "fishy". They begin their investigation by issuing a subpoena to the electric company for your records. They get the subpoena by writing a request saying that they are investigating you for MJ growing, and since indoor MJ growers typically use a lot of juice that is where they look. Usually it's the first place they look.
99.9% of the time it is something or someone else that puts you on their radar, THEN they look at your bill. Without them suspecting you're growing, high usage means nothing.
Wind of you growing (by snitch, nosy neighbor, ex girl, smell, WHATEVER) AND a high bill IS enough probable cause to obtain a warrant.
It's always something else that puts them onto you. They don't drive around and randomly pick out houses and subpoena their records, SOMETHING has to put them onto you.
And even if a company handed over your records for no reason other than a high bill, the worst they can do is knock//talk, check your bank account, whatever. No way in hell they can get a warrant solely on a high bill.
I've asked my lawyer 50 times already, enough that he suspects i'm up to something.
Please do yourselves a favor and go ask a lawyer.
Lastly, if a cop is going to outright lie and say they smelled something when they didn't or make up some shit so they can get a warrant then all legal rules go out the window and it's up to your lawyer to catch the crooked cop in a lie.
Like this;
http://www.tampabay.com/news/public...nvestigation-of-four-former-narcotics/1237776



LARGO — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced that he will launch a criminal investigation into the actions of four former detectives — three who resigned earlier this month and one who was fired Thursday.

The announcement caps an internal affairs investigation of the narcotics unit that began months ago after detectives were accused of trespassing to gather evidence against indoor marijuana growers. Armed trespass is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

"Misconduct will not be tolerated and we will hold accountable any member of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office who acts contrary to the law," Gualtieri said. "The ends never justify the means."

Trespassing was limited to just the four deputies, Gualtieri said. Internal affairs investigators questioned 93 officers under oath, he said, including "anybody who could have touched a narcotics investigation over the last few years."

But no evidence emerged that others participated in trespassing or knew about it, he said.

"We have a great agency with great people," Gualtieri said. "And while we had four people who engaged in wrongdoing and embarrassed us, we held them accountable and we will forge ahead with our heads high."

Pot growers could benefit from the fallout. Prosecutors already have dropped 18 pending cases. Now Gualtieri and Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said they also will review charges against about two dozen other defendants who previously pleaded guilty, were convicted or accepted plea bargains.

Defense lawyers — whose persistent questioning brought the trespassing allegations to light — were skeptical that wrongdoing was limited to four detectives.

"It's hard to believe that just four guys in this whole organization are the only ones who knew about this," Clearwater lawyer Douglas deVlaming said. "I would like to know who knew what and when and what they did about it."

How vigorously the Sheriff's Office questioned other officers may not become clear for months because Gualtieri declined to release about 9,000 pages of interviews and other internal affairs documents that the investigation generated.

Those documents are exempt from public disclosure, he said, because they could figure in the criminal investigation.

Questions about trespassing arose after several years of surveillance of a Largo hydroponics store frequented by pot growers as well as legitimate customers.

Detectives Michael Sciarrino and Paul Giovannoni and Sgt. Christopher Taylor took down license tags of customers, then checked electric bills for tell-tale power spikes of indoor pot farms.

To get search warrants, detectives almost always said they could smell marijuana from sidewalks or neighbors' yards. But defense attorneys suspected that deputies actually snuck onto private property — illegally — to peek in windows and sniff up close for flowering pot plants.

Seminole resident Allen Underwood, arrested in 2010, said his surveillance system captured Taylor jumping over his fence several days before deputies entered with a search warrant and seized his surveillance recordings. Taylor then told sheriff's technicians to erase them.

When Underwood's attorney filed a complaint last year, internal affairs investigators found no deliberate wrongdoing by Taylor or other deputies.

A few months later, Largo lawyer John Trevena got wind that Giovannoni had used a Progress Energy shirt and hat to gain access to private property. Giovannoni first denied it under oath, then admitted it. Gualtieri chalked up the Progress Energy ruse to overexuberance by a young officer.

Then in February, Detective Kyle Alston was questioned under oath by Tarpon Springs lawyer Newt Hudson. Alston — who occasionally worked with the three growhouse investigators — refused to answer when asked if he ever saw them trespass.

After the Tampa Bay Times wrote about Alston's testimony, Gualtieri put Alston and the other three on indefinite leave while internal affairs investigated.

Under questioning, Alston admitted that he and Sciarrino had once broken down a fence to enter a suspect's yard, Gualtieri said Thursday. "That was the game changer," the sheriff said.

Alston said the property was either in Lealman or St. Petersburg but could not identify the specific address, Gualtieri said. According to a sheriff's document acquired by the Times, that trespass occurred in 2009 and the two detectives ventured 30 feet into the suspect's property. By doing so, they committed a felony, the document says.

Gualtieri said his investigators uncovered other indications of trespassing, but he declined to reveal them.

Taylor, Giovannoni and Sciarrino all resigned this month.

Alston, who was fired Thursday, could not be reached for comment, but Tarpon Springs lawyer Jerry Theophilopoulos said Alston has authorized him to act as his spokesman.

"My understanding is that (Alston) was following the lead detective and was told do certain things," Theophilopoulos said. "The other three deserved their ouster. Kyle Alston should have been punished, but not to that severity."

Alston told the truth about trespassing, but ended up getting fired, Theophilopoulos said. "What message does that send to the rest of law enforcement?"

Gualtieri noted that Alston had several chances to report the trespassing, but admitted it only when backed into a corner.

>>FAST FACTS

Other findings

by internal affairs

The internal affairs investigation of the narcotics unit into accusations that detectives trespassed to gather evidence also led to several other findings, said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. Among them:

>> Two detectives were cleared of accusations that they roughed up a suspect outside a Largo WingHouse.

>> Policies about seizing money need to be tightened. Officers seized $3,000 from the suspect in the WingHouse case. He and his girlfriend accused them of taking much more. Future cash seizures should be videotaped, Gualtieri said.

>> Narcotics sergeants sometimes collected overtime while monitoring deputies from home via radio. Gualtieri said he stopped that practice.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

>> Policies about seizing money need to be tightened. Officers seized $3,000 from the suspect in the WingHouse case. He and his girlfriend accused them of taking much more. Future cash seizures should be videotaped, Gualtieri said.

This behavior runs rampant amongst law enforcement.

A person I know was recently raided (not growing) while he was picked up during his travels. His girlfriend was home at the time of the raid and was asked to sign a form in regards to what the police took during the raid. It listed items such as small amount of weed, small amount of cash, rubber bands, paperwork, etc. Pigs said it was because they get accused of stealing all of the time. All in all.. they didn't take much. Girlfriend was also sexually harassed verbally during the search when they came across some of her items.

Unfortunately..Next day the house gets broken into.. tvs taken, dvds, kids game systems, other valuables. Strange coincidence huh?


Some other folks recently busted.. cash taken and recorded accurately.. however after returning home they soon discovered jewelry and other valuables gone.

I think every grower should take measures in having hidden recording devices on ones property and in ones home to capture police actions in the event of a raid. Something like pin hole cameras in the crown molding or something that can auto feed to a ftp or remote server at the flip of a switch.

I've read a case recently where someone did have their raid on tape. Cant find it now, but I think they were drinking beers out of the fridge and playing wii.

 

[qupee]

It always starts with cops getting wind that you might be growing... Usually it's the first place they look.
99.9% of the time it is something or someone else that puts you on their radar, THEN they look at your bill.

Wind of you growing (by snitch, nosy neighbor, ex girl, smell, WHATEVER) AND a high bill IS enough probable cause to obtain a warrant.

It's always something else that puts them onto you.

In my experience, this is true - except that they often need more than just a tip and a high bill to get a warrant. Evidence of marijuana or a grow in the trash is usually the third strike that seals it. I've also seen them throw out wishy-washy crap like "often had their shades closed which is a sign of a grow house".

 

[Wise]

A good female friend of mine who works at a utility in the USA said the following:

"While it isn't a written policy to actively pursue marijuana grows, if an employee suspects suspicious usage or circumstances they can, and depending on their moral views, will report such illegal activities to the authorities. Pay your bill on time and try to avoid employee contact such as customer service, correspondence or field visits." This is in a non-medical state mind-you...

To answer the specific question: "anyone have any info on electric companies snitching?" YES! She has seen first hand accounts of this in her position. What has come of it she does not know.

 

[Numbnutts]

This shit scares me especially since there's a rumor in my neighborhood that someone's gonna be raided over a high electric bill. What I don't get is if it is me why now ? I been doing this for five plus years and we are now a medical marijuana state. And having pot is a misdemeanor
I don't sell weed never have I have two six hundred hps lamps and a fan filter combo. I only have eight plants.
I'm still scared though. The rumor came from a neighbor down the street. He's a known liar and dope addict and theif. I called up a detective friend today and asked him would I ever get looked at for high electricity use. He said no way but people get fucked all the time for stealing electricity
He was on a major big city police force for forty years almost. I'm thinking this kid is either looking to set someone up to get himself out of trouble or he's looking for shit to steal. He first asked me if I could get him a gun because the police took his. Then it was can you get coke then it was could I get him pills then he mentioned the rumor
If they are watching me they will probably start pulling people over that leave my house or do a knock and talk or watch to see if I'm a dealer. Probably steal my trash. All they'll find though is that I use a lot of electricity there's no buckets outside I toss my trash in a dumpster eight miles from my house in another city. I don't sell I don't have traffic in and out if they watch me its gonna be a pretty boring steak out
I work I go home I smoke in my bathroom then I play with my kids all day and night. This is a medical and decriminalized state also. So I wonder if there's any truth to his comments

 

[FlowerFarmer]

You're OK.

1200w is not a lot of electricity. The soccor mom with several kids doing a few loads of laundry a day likely consumes more electricity then you do.



Your larger risk is the association with thieves and addicts. Stop that shit...ignore that neighbor all at costs.

 

[Numbnutts]

You're OK.

1200w is not a lot of electricity. The soccor mom with several kids doing a few loads of laundry a day likely consumes more electricity then you do.



Your larger risk is the association with thieves and addicts. Stop that shit...ignore that neighbor all at costs.

Yeah bro not only did I tell him get the fuck away from me but I told him stay away I dont need him making the neighborhood thinking I'm up to the same shit as him. Next time I see him around he gets a ride and a talk. He has no idea I've been growing for the last six years

 

[Weird]

no what they do (friend works for time warner) is offer rewards to utility workers (cable gas electric) because they can legally go on to your property thus avoiding curtilage laws

they dont look at the juice you use but expect these workers to smell or see some growing activity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtilage

They dont use your records against you until there is a tip and investigation begins

 

[SacredBreh]

I live in a legal state. Earlier in the thread, it was mentioned this could be an issue in Colorado and California. I beg to differ..... First of all in my county alone there are 3000 legal patients with the state but with the change in the law... every adult over the age of 21 has a right to 6 plants for recreation. Point is....having a high electric bill is no longer probable cause for us. It has to be suspicion of illegal activity to be probable cause and growing is no longer an illegal activity here.

I will keep my medical active because all the legal precedents have been set so they won't even touch it but soon it will probably not even be needed.

There are sooooooo many reasons for high electric bill that unless there is another factor. This one alone will not lead to an issue even in non legal states. Hell buy a used pottery kiln and set it on your porch not even plugged in.......poof no probable cause in any state.

Peace

 

[ItsGrowTime]

still never read a report of a power company snitching out a customer WITHOUT a subpoena/warrant/suspicion that brought scrutiny from police on the grower in the first place. They just want their money every month.

 

[gonzo`]

imo this is a function of relative usage compared to households in your surrounding area and the size of your property...

So it follows that on a relative basis, if your consumption is waaaay above the average consumption of other houses/apartments around you then you stick out like a sore thumb if someone was looking...

So if you grow in a less affluent neighbourhood then your high usage will probably look suspicious... if someone was looking... conversely if you lived in a place where all the other houses around you had high electric consumption (due to all the appliances they own) then you probably wouldn't need to worry much..

And finally don't run stupid amounts of lights in an apartment/smaller property...

Having said all this, there are a lot of bust threads across all forums and I don't think I've ever come across one where someone has said "i was busted due to high electricity usage"...