Man Arrested on Drug and Theft Charges for Marijuana 'Grow House' in Lake Forest
As Oceanside drug crimes criminal defense lawyers, we were interested to read a piece about a man arrested for multiple crimes related to a marijuana "grow house." Derrick Frisco, 40, was arrested at the rented home where he lives on July 22, the Orange County Register reported the next day. Sheriff's deputies discovered that the million-dollar home was filled with another $1 million worth of marijuana plants, plus a growing apparatus to support them. The deputies served a search warrant on the home after receiving an anonymous tip from a neighbor. In addition to the plants, deputies found 40 vials of steroids inside. They also discovered that Frisco has been stealing electricity from the neighborhood utility, possibly to avoid creating high energy bills from the grow lights and irrigation system, which could have tipped off authorities.
Authorities said Frisco has been renting the home for about six years, but it's unclear how long it has been the secret site of a marijuana farm. Sheriff's deputies searching the home found a large amount of mold, which they speculated could have been the result of the indoor irrigation. In fact, deputies had to delay their search of the home because of concerns about the health effects of the mold in a confined space. Another part of the growing system was an illegal modification to the home's electrical system, which bypassed the meter and allowed Frisco to steal electricity. Officials said the modification was likely an attempt to avoid drawing attention to the house with excessive electrical bills. Frisco is charged with stealing the electricity, cultivating marijuana and possession of the steroids.
Our Laguna Beach drug crimes criminal defense attorneys suspect that Frisco will face more charges before everything is said and done. The amount of marijuana at issue is substantial, which means Frisco is very likely to be charged with possession for sale, as well as with cultivation. If law enforcement officers can prove that he sold, trafficked, transported or was under the influence of the marijuana, he could face further charges for those crimes. This is in addition to any sale and possession for sale of the steroids, which were also in the home in fairly large quantities. And of course, theft from a utility in this way is also illegal -- in fact, California law makes it a "wobbler" that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony at the prosecutor's discretion. That's one reason why Frisco should speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney right away -- to get the best chance of minimizing his charges.
