Garage fire leads to pot bust

[dizzydauno]

Heres a link to the video ---> http://www.cbs47.tv/mediacenter/[email protected]

Heres a link to the soil mix which was used --> http://www.sungro.com/products_displayProProduct.php?product_id=13&brand_id=1

By Farin Montañez / The Fresno Bee 10/29/07 22:50:41
One man was arrested after fire damaged a vacant house in southeast Fresno filled with more than 800 marijuana plants valued at more than $3 million, Fresno County sheriff's officials said.
Deputies later discovered a second home with 900 marijuana plants in west-central Fresno. Officials said the suspect, identified as Andy Lieng, 39, of Fresno, owned both homes.

A neighbor's 911 call Monday morning about smoke coming from a house near Jensen and Peach avenues led to the discovery of marijuana plants. Fresno city firefighters put out the fire about 6 a.m. The fire was coming from an electric meter in the garage of the house at 2482 S. Villa Ave.

Firefighters then entered the home to check for occupants, Fresno County sheriff's detective Jake Jensen said.

Instead, firefighters found five rooms containing 862 marijuana plants, said Chris Curtice, Fresno County sheriff's public information officer.

The vacant home had been converted into a greenhouse with special lighting fixtures used to grow the plants, Jensen said. In three of the rooms, the plants were about 4 feet tall and ready to harvest.

Investigators say Lieng was stealing power from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. by tapping into the lines below the electricity meter. The fire was caused by overloaded electrical lines, Fresno fire officials reported.

Investigation is continuing and more arrests could be made by sheriff's deputies and Fresno police, Curtice said.

The investigation also led deputies to west-central Fresno where they found a second home with more than 900 marijuana plants of various sizes at 5307 W. Donner Ave.

The estimated street value of the plants found in the second home, had they matured, was $3.8 million, Curtice said.

Lieng was being booked on two counts of cultivation of marijuana, two counts of cultivation of marijuana for sale, two counts of utility theft and one count of felony arson because the accidental electrical fire involved stolen utilities.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Fresno County sheriff's office at (559) 488-3111.
The reporter can be reached at [email protected] or (559) 441-6308. Bee staff writers Marc Benjamin and Paula Lloyd contributed to this report.

 

[Guest]

It's nice how they charge him for arson for burning down his own house.

another reason not to steal power.

 

[Pops]

A commercial grower would be very fortunate to get $4,000 a lb. for his crop. It seems that his 4' tall plants were producing about a pound a plant worth $4,000 each. If anyone has seeds from this incredible commercial strain, please offer them on Seedbay immediately.

 

[marx2k]

How do you get electricity to a 'vacant home'?

 

[TwoOhSix!]

^lol ... it's at least closer than some of their other "street value" estimates

Can't really feel sorry for this guy, he should have been watching that more closely.

 

[bongasaurus]

tisk tisk

 

[Sheriff Bart]

cops lookin like: "jackpot!"

 

[D0nC0smic]

$3 million from a single indoor grow? wow. At some point this is the medias fault for taking whatever the police say at face value.

 

[Pops]

Well,as least we know that Deputy Dog in the picture is 8' tall, as these 4' plants come up to his waist. Those "ready -to-harvest" plants look like they could use another 4-5 weeks to me.

 

[Depths Of OG]

DAMNIT!!!! Another grower that managest to get $3700+ per plant. I just can't figure it out. I get like $300 per plant, tops (@ $3500 per lb).