THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 27, 1994 TAG: 9408270268
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: KAREN E. QUINONES MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
Many entrepreneurs start their home businesses after reading a how-to book. Thursday afternoon state police found an unusual but thriving business - an indoor marijuana plantation with a crop they say is worth more than $500,000.
On the coffee table in one of the apartments at 116 W. 28th St. was the December 1989 issue of High Times, the pro-marijuana magazine. The cover story: ``Organic Indoor Growing: High Yield in Small Spaces.''
When state police raided the 4-unit apartment house, they removed 281 potted marijuana plants in various stages of maturity, plant lights, large bags of fertilizer, and a number of plastic garbage bags filled with marijuana.
``Someone put a lot of time and expense into the operation,'' said Bob Jasinowski, a state police special agent. ``They went to a lot of trouble to tend those plants, they had to control the environment with lights and air conditioning.''
Although the net was estimated by police at $500,000, the plants' ultimate value, they said, would have been $1.5 million at maturity.
No arrests were made in connection with the raid, and although police say they are looking for specific suspects, they released no names.
Real estate records indicate the building is owned by Darren W. Cobbs, 27, who bought the apartment building in 1991. Court records indicate that Cobbs, who has been arrested on a number of charges, including improper driving, drinking in public and profanity, listed the address as his residence as far back as 1987.
Cobbs and his girlfriend lived in one of two bottom apartments, according to neighbors, the other bottom apartment was used as a workshop and storage area. Most of the marijuana was grown in two second-floor apartments, according to police.
Neighbors in the Park Place neighborhood said they were unaware of the illegal and possibly lucrative business going on in their block.
``I asked him right after he bought the building if he was going to rent out the other apartments and he said no. I just figured he didn't want any close neighbors,'' said Harold Cooper, 67, who lives next door.
``I figured he used one of the downstairs apartments to live in, another one like a workshop or something, and I kind of thought he had the upstairs apartments fixed up with a sauna or hot tub or something,'' Cooper said.
Cooper said that Cobbs, described as a tall man with broad shoulders and a blond pony tail, was an auto-enthusiast. On the refrigerator in his apartment was a Nascar track directory, a Jim Beam bottle label and a picture of the American flag.
On a glass coffee table next to the High Times magazine was a 2-foot bong, a water pipe used to inhale large amounts of marijuana.
``He was such a nice friendly guy you would never dream he would be involved in anything like this,'' said Cooper. ``He was always so helpful. When he cut the grass on the side of his house sometimes he'd cut mine, too. And he used to give my advice about what was wrong with my car.''
When asked if he had ever seen Cobbs or anyone else bring in bags of fertilizer into the house, Cooper shook his head and said: ``No, but then I never seen him bring in any bags of groceries either.''
Other younger neighbors said they also had no idea that there were such large amounts of marijuana in the building, but unlike Cooper they said they were not surprised. They were always suspicious of the man who lived in the building.
``The tip-off to me was him not renting out those other apartments,'' said a 24-year-old man who asked not to be identified. ``I knew he was involved in something, but I didn't know what.''
State police say they started working on the case about a month ago, after receiving a confidential tip.
They said a police helicopter equipped with a infrared thermal imager was flown over the block. It detected an abnormal amount of heat radiation when it flew over the building. The radiation, they figured, came from special lights being used to nurture the plants.
A search warrant was obtained based on the informant's tip and the helicopter findings.
Peter Gorman, executive editor of High Times, disputed the way police estimate the value of marijuana. ``It would be impossible for the guy to have an indoor operation that can yield $500,000,'' he said.
``In order to come up with that figure police say that each plant yields a kilo of saleable marijuana. But in reality a home-grown plant, no matter how professionally grown, will yield only 1/3 to 1/2 and ounce,'' Gorman said by phone from New York City. ``The reality is the guy would only get between $5,000 to $10,000 for the crop described.''
Police said it took more than six hours to remove all of the plants, growing material and equipment. Also removed was a 3-year-old black cocker spaniel named Homey, which animal control officers describe as a friendly little dog.
So far, no one has come forward to claim the plants or the dog. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by PAUL AIKEN
Police raided this apartment building at 116 W. 28th St. on
Thursday, they found 281 potted marijuana plants and growing
supplies and equipment.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA STATE POLICE ILLEGAL DRUGS MARIJUANA
by CNB