04/26/08

Greenhouse grow house, two others busted

North Port pot house count at 25

NORTH PORT -- The Sarasota County Joint Narcotics Task Force busted three more marijuana grow houses in the last two days, bringing to 25 the number of grow houses busted in North Port in the past year.

The task force, including detectives from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and North Port Police Department, served warrants on one house Wednesday and two Thursday, and so far arrested four people with more arrests expected.

On Wednesday, the task force executed a search warrant for a house at 5364 Greenhouse Ave. They seized 57 marijuana plants weighing a total of 5.5 pounds.

Two people were arrested: Amilgar Deniz, 30, and Manoli Deniz, also 30. Both had Miami addresses. Both were charged with cultivation of marijuana and manufacturing drug paraphernalia, and each was held on $2,000 bond.

The house is reported on the county property appraiser's Web site as owned by Felix Beltran, who bought the house in February for $235,400. The house is in the eastern part of North Port, just east of Atwater Street.

On Thursday, the task force executed a warrant on the house at 5112 Bonnet Ave., off Atwater Street. Officers seized 46 marijuana plants weighting 126 pounds, along with $3,120 in cash.

The task force arrested two people: Hugo Bedoya, 31, and Yesica M. Ceballos-Rios, 24, both listing the Bonnet Avenue house as their residence. Ceballos-Rios is indicated as having bought the house in July 2006 for $215,000.

The two were charged with trafficking in marijuana, cultivating marijuana, manufacturing drug paraphernalia and child neglect, and are being held without bond. A report from the Sheriff's Office indicates a male child, no age stated, was taken into custody by the state Department of Children and Families based on probable cause to suspect child neglect.

Bedoya reportedly told task-force members he was an illegal alien from Colombia and was having trouble finding work due to the lack of immigration papers. Bedoya said he was selling the marijuana he grew to make money.

A female pit bull-mix dog found at the Bonnet house was found not to have been vaccinated, and was impounded at an area animal shelter.

The task force also served a search warrant at 1172 Boswell St., between Atwater and San Mateo Drive. No one was present at that house and no arrests have been made, but officers seized 126 marijuana plants weighing almost 55 pounds, along with $36,800 in cash.

The Boswell Street house was reportedly bought in September 2006 by Luis Bedoya for $220,000.

A male shepherd mix dog without collar or tags was confiscated at the house.

Acting Captain Paul Bourdeaux of the Sheriff's Office, who directs the narcotics task force, said, "In general the people who operate these grow houses are very sophisticated. They have to be good electricians, good house remodelers, and good botanists."

You can e-mail Susan Hoffman at shoffman@sun-herald.com.

By SUSAN E. HOFFMAN

North Port Assistant Editor

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