The Antelope Valley Times

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Traffic stop leads to $300K pot bust

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Narcotics detectives and deputies searched a two-acre lot, near the 36000 Block of 92nd Street East, where they found an elaborate marijuana cultivation operation in a detached garage. (LASD)

LITTLEROCK – A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 12) led Palmdale deputies to an elaborate marijuana grow operation inside a converted garage in Littlerock. Detectives seized 300 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $300,000, along with a large amount of sealed cash.

During the takedown, 41-year-old Tony Baker of Granada Hills and 41-year-old Travis Churchill of Littlerock were arrested for cultivation of marijuana.

The following is the press report from the Palmdale Station:

While working patrol in the Littlerock area, Deputy John Cereoli conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle near 87th Street East and Avenue T-14, for a traffic violation.

While contacting the driver, 41-year-old Granada Hills resident Tony Baker, [deputy Cereoli] observed several marijuana plants in the backseat of the vehicle.

Deputy Cereoli was able to ascertain, through his investigation of the driver, that the plants had just come from a cultivation operation nearby.

(Courtesy LASD)

Armed with a search warrant, narcotics detectives and deputies searched a two-acre lot, near the 36000 Block of 92nd Street East, where they found an elaborate marijuana cultivation operation in a detached garage.

A second suspect, 41-year-old Littlerock resident Travis Churchill, was inside of the home when deputies served the search warrant.

The cultivation operation consisted of 300 immature marijuana plants in a 3500-square-foot converted garage. It consisted of a watering and artificial lighting system.

The marijuana had just been harvested and detectives seized approximately 300 pounds of Marijuana with an estimated street value of $300,000.

A large amount of sealed cash was also seized at the scene.

Both suspects were transported and booked at the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station. Baker was booked on charges of cultivation of marijuana, with a bail amount of $50,000. Churchill was booked on charges of cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sales and theft of public utilities, with a bail of $50,000.

Both suspects are scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, December 14, at the Antelope Valley Court House.

The ongoing investigation is being handled by the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station Narcotics Bureau.
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40 comments for "Traffic stop leads to $300K pot bust"

  2. How many of you stoners are out there driving on our streets with your impaired judgement of distance, time, spatial awareness?

    • Those of us who use it medicinally don’t drive while using it. I’d worry a lot more about the cell phone gabbers, drunks and meth heads out there driving around.

    • The stoners have to drive slowly, ‘Up In Smoke’ style, to avoid the drunks speeding and weaving all over the roads.

          • Other than those 2 parked on the median with a car full smoke my favorite scene was the girl who snorted a line of Comet cleanser and puffed out her cheeks as she was getting the effects.

    • More than you would ever believe. Particularly because you posed the question tells me you’re naively doing so. Potheads are everywhere, and in the highest (no pun intended) positions in corporate America & politics. Your head needs pulled from that dark place & smell the herb. Hood rats are the most typical stereotype to associate as potheads, but you see em everywhere you go, in all walks of life, every day. Some are very private & some couldn’t care less if you know they’re potheads. ‘Nite, Gracy!

  3. All the money seized should go to broke single moms like me who cannot afford a Christmas this year. Insted some crooked cop is probably taking it home.

    • I wasn’t aware of any “money” being seized. Did you mean the cops should sell the weed and give you the money? Or give you the weed so you can ….ummmm, sell it?

    • Good for you! I have one too. Edibles are the only way I can control my chronic celiac pain so for all of you pot haters…spend a day in my shoes and we’ll talk.

    • I can sleep at night, my arthritis pain has been cut by 80% and it’s not a strain that knocks me out. So during the day I am productive.

      Don’t knock it, until you need it.

      • I wasn’t knocking the legitimate use, I have a problem with kids rushing off to get their card as a right of passage instead of getting a dr. license and a job.

  6. Time to decriminalize, legalize and tax it. $1.5 Trillion spent on a drug war that results in border violence, overcrowded prisons and the early release of people who actually deserve to be in prison. The number on cash crop in the US is legal but legalization and tracking is shown to reduce usage, increase safety and lower crime. Go figure.

    • It’s the section 8 renters keeping them in business! Hey maybe that means no loud music to all hours of the night…no weed, no party. Sleep tight neighbors!

      • So, Quigley, you’re saying that if there were not Section 8 up here that there would be no pot smoking, no loud parties, and no crime.

        Really naive position there, Quigley.

        • Hmmm Stinger, didn’t mention crime, You did….I do enjoy sparring with you. FYI…slept like a baby last night!

    • YES! Busting some Pot BS when a girl a few blocks away is attack gong to school! Your Tax money at work! Who cares!, catch the thiefs and child rapists. Yea great sheriffs ego BS over some plant WTH! Do the job we pay tax for this 14Yr old was scared for life for some pot bust! There are over 100 in Lancaster. Do your job protect the KIDS! not the Plants….

  9. I know it’s against the law to grow…..I would have been more impressed if it was one of the meth labs in the valley. Wonder why we never hear about those?

    • Smoking weed isn’t for everyone. Doing meth is NOT FOR ANYONE. Have you ever looked at the websites that show what it does to people in short periods of time? Rots you from the inside. hmm, attractive, like crack.
      Good bust deputies, next.

    • The reason that Meth labs are not a problem any more is because of the Pseudoephedrine laws in California. It’s all but impossible for crack heads to make a lab of any value now and it takes too much work to acquire all of the components needed to produce it.
      Now all meth is imported over the border from Mexico and they get the Pseudoephedrine directly from factories in China. The Pseudoephedrine is shipped in 55 gallon drums to factories in Mexico where it’s produced in extremely large quantities. DEA estimates that they currently only seize about 40% of the narcotic smuggled over the border.

      • Geesh – yes, this is true. I’m surprised the Monitors on this board haven’t deleted your post yet, as I posted something similar awhile back, and it was deleted.

        The Pseudoephedrine laws are across the country now.

        It’s the lovers of the Chinese Communist Government that are allowing them to not only look the other way as they poison our population, but also let them buy up all our real estate.

        Amazing what money can buy.

      • Laws have been in place for a long time. You and I (and everyone) knows that doesn’t stop Meth Labs. They are deadly. Since when do criminals follow the law? Have you not heard of people ordering online and the internal thefts in drug warehouses by employees?
        I vote for going after more Meth people and let the “reguar Joe and Susie” pot smoker alone untill the other problems are handled.
        Start by following the team of 2, who walk around the Valley Central Walmart area. 1 male, 1 female. Caucasian, hard to tell age. Both have gotten very thin. They walk onto the lot from the north together. When they reach the “garden” doors, they seperate by about 20 steps and the girl starts asking for money. They are wearing winter coats and knit hats and both look sick. I bet they would take you to a meth house if you followed them.

        • I think that LASD drug enforcement aggressively pursues all drug activity with the same effort. The fact of the matter is Meth is just not manufactured in the USA like it was 10 years ago. No doubt there are still crack heads in this community, but the number of pot grows vs. meth labs in the AV is like 100 to 1. Shoot if you count home grows of a dozen or so plants it would be more like 1000:1. People just aren’t wasting the time to manufacture meth when they can get it from suppliers for (probably) less than it costs to round up enough OTC pseudoephedrine to make it.
          If there are two thing druggies learn real quick; it’s how to make a buck and how to live on taco bell salsa packets and saltine crackers.