Marijuana 'Grow Rooms' Uncovered in East Hampton Bust: Police

EAST HAMPTON, NY — "Grow rooms" and 48 marijuana plants were unconvered in the basement of an East Hampton home, as police busted a marijuana grow operation, officials said.

According to East Hampton Town Police, on Friday, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, in cooperation with the East Hampton Town Police, conducted a search warrant at a suspected marijuana grow operation at 74 Talmage Farm Lane, a single family home in Springs.

Christopher Losinske, 42, was arrested and charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth degree criminal possession of marijuana, and growing of the plant known as cannabis by an unlicensed person, public health law, police said.

The search was executed after a short term investigation the by the East End Drug Task Force in cooperation with East Hampton Town Police. EEDTF was assisted by the East Hampton Town Police Emergency Services Unit and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office K-9 units, police said.

During the search several rooms were discovered in the basement which served as “grow rooms” for cultivating marijuana, police said. The rooms were altered to accommodate special lighting systems as well as climate controls and a sophisticated ventilation system to mitigate the odor associated with the operation, police said.

Police recovered approximately 48 actively growing marijuana plants, as well as quantities of drying plants and dried and processed marijuana, police said.

In addition, manuals for cultivating and processing marijuana, heat lamps, humidifiers, scales, growing mediums, fertilizers, packaging materials and a computer were also seized, police said, A small quantity of MDMA, or ecstasy, was also recovered, police said.

Losinski was held for arraignment at East Hampton Town Justice Court on Friday, police said.

The East End Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement unit funded by the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. The task force includes detectives, police officers and law enforcement personnel from the New York State Police, Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Suffolk County Department of Probation, Southampton Town Police Department, Riverhead Police Department, East Hampton Town Police Department, , Southampton Village Police Department, Southold Town Police Department, DEA, Homeland Security and Suffolk County District Attorney investigators.