Cicero Busts Marijuana Laboratory

Cicero Police announced they have charged two people with growing nearly 1,000 marijuana plants and 40 pounds of high grade cannabis valued at over $4 million. Police Supt. Bernard Harrison said that the home at the 5000 block of 32nd Street had been engineered specifically to create the right atmosphere to grow the plants inside. The discovery was made last Tuesday, but was not released until this week. “They re-wired the home for electricity, putting in an additional four circuit boxes and they by-passed the electrical meter getting it directly from the outside power lines,” Harrison said.

“They had 21 air conditioners running, sealed humidity and temperature controls and special lighting with a nursery in one room and growing rooms filled with mature plants ready to be processed. The exterior walls had three inch thick foam padding reinforced with 1/4 inch aluminum insulation. The idea was to create the ideal environment to grow the high grade marijuana but to also keep the smell of the plants inside. From the outside, it looked like a regular home. On the inside, it looked like something out of a bad B movie.” Charged were Ryan A. Geru, 30, and Christopher G. Newman, 39. Police said the discovery began as a routine traffic stop near the home. In inspecting the 2002 Red Cadillac, officers identified the scent of marijuana which led them to the property of the owner. Both suspects were charged with a Class X Felony for manufacturing the drug and two lesser felonies for possession and for the criminal fortification of a residential home.

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