Grow house investigation at 'upscale' Pasco houses nets 3 arrests

Pasco County vice and narcotics detectives served search warrants this morning and are serving a third at marijuana grow houses in "upscale" central Pasco neighborhoods, the sheriff's office said.

It's the first time Pasco detectives have discovered marijuana grow houses in homes of this caliber, sheriff's office spokesman Kevin Doll said.

Doll said the first three operations were related but can't yet comment about the fourth, he said Tuesday afternoon.

The houses are at 3612 Morgans Bluff Court in Plantation Palms, ; 3115 Downan Point Drive in Ballantrae Village and 1845 Highland Oaks Blvd. in Highland Oaks Preserve; and3962 Lake Joyce Drive in Lake Padgett Estates.

The search warrants are in conjunction with the Pinellas County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Doll said, but he couldn't elaborate at this time.

When detectives served the warrant in Ballantrae Village, people were sleeping inside the house, Doll said. Twenty plants were seized from the house, authorities said.

About 70 plants valued at about $1,000 each were found inside the house in Plantation Palms, sheriff's Col. Al Nienhuis said. Under good conditions, the plants have the potential to harvest three times a year, which could mean a street value of $210,000, Nienhuis said.

Inside the house, pots for the marijuana plants had hand-printed motivational messages on them, including "Financial Abundance," "Financial Freedom," "Reaching Our Goals," "Prosperity" and "Glenwood Springs, Colorado."

Arrested were Robert Yates, 33, and Katie Yates, 24, who rent the house in Plantation Palms. They were charged with trafficking in marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Arrested at the Highland Oaks Preserve house was Reinaldo Ramirez, 58, who rents the property. Authorities said 41 plants were discovered there. He was charged with cultivation of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ramirez is Robert Yates' stepfather, authorities said.

The Highland Oaks Preserve house is on the market listed by Signature Realty Associates for $350,000. It is being offered as a short sale and boasts nearly 3,000 square of living space, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a three-car garage.

The houses appear to be set up for full distribution operations, Doll said. They even have drying locations and set up like any "typical" grow house, he said.

Nienhuis described the grow house operations as "very sophisticated." The lights move up and down to simulate the time of day and even the time of year, he said.

The investigation is continuing, authorities said.