A Gilroy man was arrested and charged with growing more than 1,000 marijuana plants behind the façade of a furniture store in the heart of downtown Gilroy, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies arrested Phuc Nguyen, 39, on Jan. 22 and charged him with illegal marijuana cultivation and theft of $80,000 in utilities after executing a search warrant at 7542 Monterey Road, Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup said Tuesday in a press release.
The building is a few doors north of the iconic Garlic Capital of the World mural at the corner of Fifth Street and Monterey Road, where the city puts up it annual Christmas tree.
While couches, desks and mattresses in disarray crowded the front of the store visible to passersby on the street, the rear was a self-contained warehouse designed for indoor marijuana cultivation with lighting and a ventilation system, authorities said.
“Furniture store coming soon,” reads a banner in the store’s front window. Another sign displays a cell phone number prospective customers can call if interested in making an appointment to see furniture.
“None of the furniture was even for sale,” Stenderup added.
However, as recently as Jan. 12 a Gilroy man called the number, made and appointment and was shown furniture. The man, who asked not to be identified, said a man named Tran identified himself as the storeowner and showed him furniture, quoted prices and said he would deliver any furniture that was purchased. No furniture was bought. The shopper said that the storeowner told him that the next day the building owner and an architect were scheduled to meet at the store to discuss repairing and remodeling it for possible sale.
Drugs seized included more than 1,000 live plants and 50 pounds of processed cannabis with a combined estimated street value in excess of $2 million, deputies said.
Illegal growing operations can pose a “very serious fire hazard” to surrounding structures due to high-wattage lighting and electrical setups that don’t meet code standards, Stenderup said.
The Gilroy Police Department and Sheriff’s Office’s Marijuana Enforcement Team conducted the investigation.
Deputies ask anyone with information about any illegal grow operations to call (408) 808-4420.
-Oct. 29, 2014, Gilroy police discover 550-plus marijuana plants growing in a 5,000-square-foot warehouse on the 8500 block of Monterey Street. Police said citizens concerned about suspicious activity tipped them off. No arrests were made.
-In 2014, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office’s Marijuana Enforcement Team seize more than 104,000 marijuana plants and more than 250 pounds of processed cannabis.
