Police seize 121 pot plants
By DARCIE LORENO Tribune Chronicle
POSTED: May 21, 2008
Article Photos
A Bazetta Township man was arrested and 121 marijuana plants seized from his home in Ivy Hill Condominiums, where police say he’s been growing and selling in the quiet neighborhood.
‘‘It’s really a shock to me,’’ said neighbor Mary Pritchett after finding out that police raided her neighbor’s home Tuesday. ‘‘I never really saw anything.’’
Police arrested Gerould Douce, 41, at his 2822-D Ivy Hill Circle condominium Tuesday on charges of cultivating marijuana and having a weapon under disability following a two-week investigation by TAG Law Enforcement Task Force in conjunction with Bazetta Police Department, said TAG commander Sgt. Jeff Orr.
‘‘This is his living,’’ Orr said of Douce. ‘‘It’s a small growth. It’s very elaborate.’’
The raid was initiated after an anonymous tip, Orr said. When officials arrived with a warrant about 10:30 a.m., Douce met them at the door with a firearm in his hand, Orr said. Douce dropped the firearm when he realized who they were, he said.
The growing operation was located in two of three upstairs bedrooms in the condo, from where several growing lights and several other cultivating tools were also taken, Orr said. The rooms were vented through the attic so neighbors wouldn’t smell the plants, he said.
Orr didn’t yet have a value for the plants but he said full-grown plants typically bring about $1,000 each.
Bazetta police Chief Chuck Sayers said the department hasn’t gotten complaints from the neighbors about Douce.
‘‘This is a quiet neighborhood,’’ Sayers said. ‘‘There’s not a whole lot that goes on here.’’
Douce was taken to Trumbull County Jail Tuesday and police said he’d be arraigned this morning in Central District Court. Orr said Tuesday Douce could also face charges of drug possession and possibly trafficking.
The condominiums are privately owned by residents in the complex. A project manager would not comment on the situation following the raid Tuesday.
Pritchett said she never really saw much action around the man’s home. She thought the noise and commotion she heard Tuesday morning was from maintenance workers. But she did remember noticing a strange odor while gardening near her own condo.
‘‘I just thought it was a skunk,’’ she said.
dloreno@tribune-chronicle.com
Member Comments
View Comments: | 1-25 |26-35 | Post a comment
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Pandora
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05-23-08 12:37 PM
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sigfigchich, I feel sorry for the next Girl Scout that comes to your doors selling cookies. Meeting everyone at the door with a gun that's just crazy.
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Tonelli
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05-22-08 5:54 PM
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Contrary to what you believe "warrenman" most of us do have lives, and those lives did at one time include an education, which you obviously slept through. Your misspelling of too and written plus running words together indicates that if you do work, it's probably making sandwiches all day for minimum wage. You might want to tidy up your own house before attempting to scold others!
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sigfigchic
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05-22-08 4:51 PM
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Pandora - I never said he didn't smoke the plants, that point is moot. The smoke coming from a joint would be no different than the smoke coming from a lit cigarette - point being, since weed is illegal he was probably smoking in his house where the smoke would bother no one. Ignorant. HA. As far as Douce having a loaded gun - I see it as no different than any other person owning and carrying a firearm. He has every right to protect his home and livelihood. My family hunts, we have firearms and we've also had people try and rob our house while we were home. We feel safer knowing there is something we can protect ourselves with in the house. My family does not grow pot nor do they smoke it, but we still don't answer the door without a firearm avialable if some strange people come knocking on our door or are sneaking around the house. The phrase guns don't kill people, people kill people
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sigfigchic
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05-22-08 4:51 PM
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is accurate - but I will say this, people that use marijuana are less likely to be violent than people who drink alcohol, which is legal. I'd rather see firearms in the hands of marijuana useres than someone under the influence of alcohol any day. As far as the poor kid that had his toes ground off - there was more than just a marijuana debt going on there. People that already have violent tendencies or that are on things that promote violent behavior (ie cocaine, alcocol, meth, etc) are going to act violent regardless of the situation. Those kind of situations also wouldn't happen (for marijuana users) if the plant was legalized and distributed legally.
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Pandora
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05-22-08 12:53 PM
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sigfigchic, are you actually implying he only grew the plants and did not smoke them? Sounds like ignorance on your part to me.
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Dschweck
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05-22-08 12:05 PM
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sigfigchic;You say"For Christ sake,its just a plant".read the story about the fella who had his toes ground off over a 50.00"Plant" debt..What happens when some,not so nice folks come over to rob your,"Quiet,little,kind,upsatnding pot growing neighbor"?He was growing Many plants for CASH.Now he has to defend his innvestment and liveyhood so he fires his LOADED handgun.It misses the intruder and goes slamming through someones wall,window,door or car and ends up killing someone in your Ivy Hills.Someones child.Some childs mom.Maybe you!Is it OK because "he is a nice guy and he is only growing 100+ plants for profit.He would never bother anyone.He walks around with loaded for handgun for fun."For Christ sake,how could he be mistake for a bad guy,?Your spooky!
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warrenman
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05-22-08 11:43 AM
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I think all the above opinions have been writen by people who absolutetly have no life and twomuch time on their hands.....Why don't you people go and get a job and try to be productive?
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Marsby
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05-22-08 12:03 AM
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touche douce, sorry... I have to laugh, this reminds me of another Douce. I hope he only gets probation, as beautiful as those plants are AS plants, give him community service with a gardening trowel, pretty up the county. But I do have to ask... What is this war on drugs? It's totally vague. What's with these Republicans? They like to declare war on concepts. How can you win a war without a defined enemy? Concept wars are never ending, you can't win. It's like pick a noun, any noun, and declare war on it... drugs, terrorism, poverty, whatever. And what's with the stupid signs? If drugs are illegal everywhere, why do they post signs declaring drug free zones?
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sigfigchic
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05-21-08 8:05 PM
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First of all Pandora, you don't know what you are talking about. In what way does growing marijuana cause the children living around this man's house to inhale the smoke? Was his house on fire, burning the weed? NO. Weed doesn't have to be smoked to be beneficial. If people worry about lung damage (not proven btw, only speculated) then don't smoke it. Eat it, cook with it, take a THC pill (which are medicinally perscribed), whatever, just don't knock something you know absolutely nothing about other than what the government has told you. Secondly, just because something is against the law doesn't mean its wrong all the time. That's why you and other ignorant peope should question and learn about the laws that our government puts into place.
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sigfigchic
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05-21-08 8:05 PM
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For instance, did you know there is no actual law that requires U.S. citizens to pay taxes? Yet everyone has income tax taken out of every check. Does that seem right to you? Maybe all the money they're taking could go towards lower gas prices or building schools or something much more productive and relevant to society. Much like all the money wasted on arrresting and processing "marijuana drug offenders". You probably do more damage to your own body and your childrens' (if you have any) by feeding them prescription drugs that continually have bad side effects and other problems that arise from extended use. People in general have very low and messed up immune systems because they pump themselves full of prescribed chemicals. Their natural immunities are being kicked out and replaced with new "better" ones that leave you open to more horrible strains of viruses and disease. Next time you pop a tylenol or ibprofen for a headache,you're damaging your kidneys.
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sigfigchic
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05-21-08 7:03 PM
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Oh and just so you know - The United States Department of Health and Human Services states that marijuana eases the effects of nausea and pain, and helps with neurological and movement disorders, loss of appetite and wieght loss, glaucoma and various other health problems. So think about that next time someone lights up a carcinogen-filled cigarette. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
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Pandora
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05-21-08 7:03 PM
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I think the speed limit on Mohoning Ave should be 45. That dosen't mean I'm going to go flying down the road and and argue that point after the fact. It's against the law and that's all that matters. You could go to jail. Think about your kids. Is it really worth it? If it were up to me cigarettes would be too. I've seen too many people die from lung cancer. 2 wrongs don't make it right.
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Pandora
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05-21-08 6:58 PM
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I think we've found 1 of his customers. If you had children living next door that could inhale the smoke you wouldn't feel the same way.
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sigfigchic
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05-21-08 6:45 PM
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I would just like to say, as a member of the Ivy Hills Community, that that man never caused anyone a moment of grief and for people to judge him because he grew marijuana (which is a plant for christ's sake - A PLANT) you have no right to judge him or look down upon him. There is no proof that marijuana is harmful - NONE. That poor man's life is ruined now because he grew a PLANT. People get harsher sentencing for "crimes" involving marijuana than murderers do. It's ridiculous. For a variety of reasons - including that someone smoking weed would be very unlikely to commit a violent crime because it has a calming effect. Its proven that marijuana has many medicinal uses and many beneficial properties. The ONLY reason it hasn't been legalized here is because our government can't figure out how to regulate it and make a profit off of it. People should be more concerned about the crimes our own government commits against its people than a poor man growing A PLANT.
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Dschweck
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05-21-08 5:28 PM
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Tonelli;Weak response!I am(not) suprised of you to assume 1)that you are wealthy and I am not and 2)that I am not suffiently armed..I have plenty of arms close by.I am also wise and wealthy enough to provide proper lighting(wopping 200 bucks or so, max.) so I can see if they,who might be knocking are strangers or,Large,well fit,armed to the hilt law enforcement agents,well marked in LARGE yellow letters across the front of bullet proof vests, with weapons you have never seen,cleaned or fired!****mon sense would inspire me to leave my guns alone(unless I am suicidal),advise them I have several on the property as to not get me guts and head shot full of holes because I am parinoid about getting ripped off of all my weed.What do you think he may have been protecting other then his garden?Ah,so wise of you.His CASH Stash.
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Tonelli
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05-21-08 4:48 PM
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To answer a door with a pistol is not foreign to me. Even living in a nice neighborhood if I see a stranger at my door I always debate whether to go to the door armed. It's 2008 and we're in a recession, being white in a decent neighborhood does not come with immunity from crime. I have never been a victim because I opt to keep a weapon nearby at all times. Apparently you've never heard of home invaders who target the wealthy.
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MartyWhite
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05-21-08 4:22 PM
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If marijuana is so so bad, then tell me why it is legal in England, Belgium, Holland, and Germany?
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MartyWhite
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05-21-08 4:20 PM
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Docheweck, why wont you, Oh never mind.
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MartyWhite
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05-21-08 4:18 PM
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Concerned ABSOLUTELY FALSE. I challenge you to go to your Doctor and ask him/her if tobacco or marijuana is more harmful to your health.
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Dschweck
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05-21-08 3:58 PM
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Marty(not so bright)White;Never mind.You just want to Troll this forum.
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concerned
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05-21-08 3:09 PM
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Ok Marty focus on using your last remaining brain cell and you may comprehend this. Marijuans smoke is inhaled and held deep in the lungs. It is a known fact that marijuana smoke contains more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke. The following quotes come directly from WebMD. " Its smoke irritates your lungs more and contains more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke. Common effects of marijuana use include pleasure, relaxation, and impaired coordination and memory." "More Marijuana Deaths in the Future?" "Marijuana users shouldn't cancel their life insurance policies just yet. Sidney warns that longer-term data may indeed show that marijuana smoking eventually raises the risk of premature death. And if marijuana is legalized, long-term use may become more common. If this is the case, there certainly will be more long-term effects of marijuana use."
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MartyWhite
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05-21-08 2:55 PM
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Concerned, show me where you get your statistics that states marijuana will cause health care to rise.
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cortlandmom
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05-21-08 2:19 PM
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If we open the door to legalizing MJ then what next? Legalizing it would only cause more problems. Do you know how many children live in Ivy Hill Circle that is exposed to that? Alot. Besides, many people have become violent on MJ because they do other things with it. As long as there is illegal drugs, there will be a War on Drugs.
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Judyann
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05-21-08 2:10 PM
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MartyWhite, screw this country? If you hate it so much, leave it!
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concerned
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05-21-08 1:55 PM
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Great points Dschweck. He arrived at the door with a loaded gun. Does'nt sound like he's earning a few non-violent dollars. Sounds like he is down to his last brain cell also.
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