Octogenarian, Wife Jailed in Grow House Bust

It’s not uncommon for a power company’s tip to law enforcement to lead to the discovery of a marijuana grow house operation.

What is uncommon is for a tip about suspected electrical theft to lead to a rather elaborate operation that happens to have an elderly couple at its source.

That’s what Hernando County deputies say happened in Brooksville when they acted on a tip from Withlacoochee River Electric Company. It seems the power being drawn from a house at 14071 Highgrove Road didn’t quite match up to the numbers on the meter.

Wanting to check out the discrepancy in person, deputies escorted employees from the electric company to the home. Once there, it didn’t take them long to detect something was amiss.

“A strong odor of marijuana was noticed once deputies approached the residence,” an email from the sheriff’s office stated.

Putting two and two together, deputies knocked on the door and made contact with the residents inside.

Lorenzo Aday, 84, and his wife Adriana, 73, agreed to let deputies search the home, the email said, and Lorenzo told them that marijuana was indeed on the premises.

“Once inside, detectives located 30 marijuana plants growing in the garage, as part of an elaborate cultivation system,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “It was evident that larger plants had recently been cultivated and harvested prior to detectives making contact.”

Cultivation equipment and fertilizer was found in every room of the home and detectives also found more than a half-pound of processed marijuana, the email said.

“Scales and vacuum-seal bags were found, which indicated that the Adays were involved with the distribution of their marijuana,” the email said.

Lorenzo, the sheriff’s office said, was quick to claim responsibility for the marijuana, but did invoke his right not to make further statements. Detectives believe it is possible the home is linked to other cultivation operations in the area.

Deputies also learned that this wasn’t Lorenzo’s first arrest on drug-related charges.

“Records indicate that Lorenzo served 72 months in federal prison for marijuana conspiracy,” the sheriff’s office noted.

Both Lorenzo and Adriana now face cultivation of marijuana, possession of over 20 grams of marijuana, possession of a structure for the purpose of manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia and theft of services charges.

The Adays were booked into the Hernando County Jail Wednesday and were released on bond Thursday, jail records indicate.

Booking photo courtesy of the Hernando County Jail