Police: Marijuana grow house found in St. Lucie West, two arrested
December 1st, 2009 by TCPalm.comPORT ST. LUCIE — Police on Monday busted a marijuana grow house in St. Lucie West, arresting two people and discovering nearly three dozen pot plants, according to arrest affidavits released Tuesday.
Craig J. Linden, 36, and 30-year-old Claudia Maria Saracino each face charges including cultivation of marijuana, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Special Investigations Unit members executed a search warrant at the $207,500 home in the 600 block of Southwest Indian Key Drive.
Half of the master bedroom and the entire master bedroom closet had been modified into a pot growing area. Half of another bedroom also had been converted into a grow room. In the two bedrooms, investigators found more than 30 pot plants, more than half a pound of loose marijuana and a shotgun.
A third bedroom contained a single marijuana plant.
Fertilizers, irrigation, ventilation and lighting systems also were found.
Linden said he was using, growing and selling pot and said he owned everything in the residence. Saracino said she helped Linden farm the pot and knew he sold it.
Saracino is the listed owner of the three bedroom, two bathroom residence, according to the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser’s Web site. She bought the home in May 2007 for $207,500.
Will Greenlee
Tags: arrested, cultivation, drug, grow house, marijuana, paraphernalia, possession, St. Lucie West, warrant
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December 1st, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Guess they did not receive the new directive from the administration that time and energy should not be used to bust those associated with marijuana – what a waste of time and money – legalize it already.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm
What a pathetic waste of time and energy… not to mention money. In the near future(hopefully) we will all laugh at these times when the cultivation of a stinkin plant could result in long prison terms.
The only crime here was the directive by the cop to bust someone tryin to make a buck growin pot.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:51 pm
The fed gov’t said only that medical marijuanna being duly registered as such to a state gov’t that recognizes it should not be gone after. Florida is not such a state, and even in states where medical hooch is legal, a grow or sales operation that is not part of a legally registered medical maryjane distributor is still illegal and to be busted. Whether it should be legal is not relevant to this case, they knew they were breaking the law and the purpose was profit. Now maybe if the real estate market hadn’t crashed they wouldn’t be selling pot, as they must be deep under water having bought at market peak.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:51 pm
finallylegalpot.com
i am growing 400 plants in my house in colorado right now. the police know about it, it is legal, leave florida if you want to grow pot, simple as that
December 1st, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Thank goodness these dangerous criminals are locked-up where they can’t hurt anyone with their potted plants! What a waste of time and money. If police are spending their time on this nonsense, it seems like we could downsize the police force and save some tax dollars!
December 1st, 2009 at 5:52 pm
WHAT WERE WE TALKING ABOUT?
December 1st, 2009 at 6:06 pm
lol@bernie…hilarious!
December 1st, 2009 at 6:08 pm
“High as a kite,” don’t bogart that joint!
December 1st, 2009 at 6:12 pm
puff puff pass
January 17th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
There’s a new Hydroponics store opening this month in the Palms West plaza on Southern Blvd a few miles west of 441. I drove by their the other day and it looks nice! About time we had a decent place to go!