Thread: Drug caches found in Home Depot vanities

Why does this not surprise me considering Home Depot aids and abets illegals!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/14/home.d ... index.html

Drug caches found in Home Depot vanities

From Stacey Francisco
CNN


(CNN) -- Large quantities of drugs were found inside merchandise from at least two Home Depot stores in Massachusetts, and authorities are investigating, police said Wednesday.

A contractor late last week discovered two 50-pound "bricks" of marijuana wrapped in plastic bags inside a bathroom vanity he had purchased at a Home Depot store in Tewksbury, said Chief of Detectives Lt. Dennis Peterson.

The estimated street value of the marijuana is around $145,000, Peterson said. (Watch as do-it-yourself goes to pot -- 1:30)

Similar incidents have occurred in other parts of the state.

A plumber purchased a vanity in western Massachusetts on Monday in which he later found 3 kilograms of cocaine and around 40 pounds of marijuana, with a total estimated street value of $250,000, according to the Southwick Police Department.

Southwick Police Lt. David A. Ricardi said the item was purchased at "a local hardware store" but would not confirm it came from The Home Depot.

According to Peterson, a third individual discovered large quantities of illegal drugs inside Home Depot merchandise.

Peterson would not provide the details of that incident but said it was part of the overall investigation and that Tewksbury police were working with their Southwick counterparts and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Tewksbury police and DEA officials conducted a search Tuesday of about 12 Home Depot stores statewide and found other bathroom vanities that contained drugs, Peterson said. He would not elaborate on how many drug caches were discovered in the search.

In each incident being investigated by Tewksbury Police, all of the merchandise boxes originated from a Texas location and were distributed through one Massachusetts warehouse, Peterson said.

"I'm sure the packages were being shipped to the distribution center and someone was supposed to intercept them," Peterson said. "So that person [who was supposed to intercept the packages] either wasn't on duty that day or the packages were marked wrong."

The Southwick and Tewksbury Police Departments both said The Home Depot was cooperating fully with their investigations, and no one employed by the company is a suspect at this time.

Both departments also said none of the customers who purchased the vanities that contained drugs are suspects.

In a written statement, The Home Depot said, "The company is cooperating with authorities as they investigate this matter, and we will support law enforcement in any way possible to help bring those responsible to justice."



http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2077001



Drugs Found in Home Depot Store Cabinets

For the Fifth Time in a Week, Stash of Drugs Found in Cabinet at Home Depot Store in Mass.

The Associated Press



SOUTHWICK, Mass. - For the fifth time in a week, a stash of drugs was found in a cabinet at a Home Depot store in Massachusetts or discovered after the fixture was brought home.

A plumber in Southwick discovered 40 pounds of marijuana and three kilograms of cocaine stashed in a bathroom vanity he'd purchased at a Home Depot in Chicopee.

A second stash was found at that store and at least two more were discovered at a Tewksbury Home Depot, Southwick Police Lt. David Ricardi said. One of the Tewksbury stashes was discovered June 8 after a homeowner brought home a cabinet and found 50 pounds of marijuana.

Police also found drugs in a fifth cabinet. Ricardi would not say where or when it was discovered but said it was within the last week.

"It's a smuggling operation gone bad," Ricardi said. "Somebody owes some money."

Ricardi said the plumber discovered the drugs on Monday after he bought the vanity for a home renovation. The man noticed the vanity top hadn't been included in the package and instead found two plastic bags containing the drugs. Ricardi said the drugs are worth $200,000.

Tony Pettigrew, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Wednesday that his agency was investigating, but declined further comment.

Atlanta-based Home Depot said it was cooperating with investigators.

Maybe Home Depot will start rethinking their policy about hiring illegals?

What do you all want to bet, when arrests for this are made, we will see an illegal, or even a green card holder from Mexico or Central America as the main suspect.