Police found 118 marijuana plants in a home in the 4900 block of Mandan Road earlier this month, according to a police spokesman.
An unusually high electricity bill alerted police to a possible marijuana-growing operation, the warrant said.
According to the warrant, police conducted surveillance at the home and checked its electricity bill, which at times exceeded those of similarly sized homes in the neighborhood by about $400. Police also found growing equipment, scales, ledgers, packing materials and smoking devices, said Officer Adam Bernstein, a police spokesman.
Eric Wayne Haxter, 33, was charged with manufacturing marijuana, according to court records. His preliminary trial hearing is scheduled for June 11.
via Beach police: High electric bill lead to marijuana bust | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com.
Does it bother anyone else that merely using an above average amount of electricity in your home is probable cause to believe you’re a criminal? Yes, this guy was growing, but how do we know beforehand that he just doesn’t have an indoor hot tub, some old-school video game arcade consoles, a lighted disco floor, and baseboard heating?
I know, it’s a stretch. I also know that in these cases, police often get other clues, like sifting through curbside garbage for stems and seeds*. My point is how much of our personal and home privacy must we surrender to the government to prevent a few people from indoor gardening?
There are also unintended consequences to this electricity bill snooping, like people dangerously hijacking power from the electrical grid illegally and using diesel burning generators that pollute the air and ground.
*Note to my stoney friends: you are burning your stems and seeds in the fireplace or flushing them down the toilet, aren’t you? Cops don’t need a warrant to look through your trash once you put it out for pickup.
[...] I believe the question is not written that way because the utility companies — just like the phone companies and ISPs — are not on the consumer’s side. Indeed, they have a track record of collaborating with the authorities in their investigations of “suspicious behavior,” which typically means using a lot of electricity. [...]
[...] permalink O yes look > http://stash.norml.org/beach-police-…marijuana-bust [...]
No I put them in the used cat litter.
Mother to son:
“Now remember Johnny to turn of the lights when you are done in a room, and don’t leave the door open, the AC is on… If you do, the police man will come and stick automatic weapons in our faces and possibly take you to child protective services…” (of course when the officials find the half smoked joint her and ger girlfiends smoked last month at a bachelorette party…)
COP: “I don’t need a search warrant – your electric bill is higher than your neighbors”
Hi, Just a reminder to me fellow citizens. My home was invaded on July of 2008 and 7 plants were found that were for my personal use. After waiting for almost a year I have had the need to plead guilty this month to cultivation and will get a year probation because I have no prior encounter with law and I’m a proud American veteran. The reason that allowed them to investigate me and search my trash, get my tax records, energy records as well as establish surveillance in my home was that I received 10 shipments from a Hydroponics supplier from Michigan via UPS (over a period of a few months). Information was supplied by “DEA Green thumb intelligence”(whoever they are). This evidently is enough to start an investigation. It makes me sad to see what we are becoming. All of you please beware.
Maybe our government could pull out of this “recession” by legalizing marijuana. Millions of americans use it, so why not let the government get their hands on this part of our lives. They “tax” everything else we do. Besides, this could take thousands of inmates out of the prisons, thereby saving millions of dollars to house them. Just think of the millions of jobs this would create also. It would also save millions of dollars in medical care for people whom marijuana helps.
or how many people will be raided due to a malfuntioning meter. Broken meters happen. I know that first had. The only reason I noticed is that my power bill went way up.
my “friend” was an artistic welder. ornamental, specialty, and custom welding.
cops busted him and found some bud…but,he beat the charges. cops stated “activity” as the reason for the warrant. but used the “electric use” in court.
judge sided with the defendant. high electric and activity is not enough. cops need evidence not speculation..so don’t for get this valuable lesson stashers don’t throw out byproducts of your consumption in your trash!!
This makes me wonder about how many other homes have been raided due to ‘high electric bills,’ then it turns out that the homeowner was just growing his tomatoes indoors due to the incliment weather during the spring…