Police bust elaborate Oviedo grow house operation

OVIEDO, Fla. — Four people are facing charges after police busted what officers described as a sophisticated marijuana grow house in an Oviedo neighborhood, Tuesday.

According to police, rooms full of marijuana were discovered in a house in the Alafaya subdivision.

Investigators said the growers worked hard to keep their operation hidden, even to the point of stealing power.

According to police, an underground electrical line was tapped into so the group could steal power. Investigators said that way Progress Energy had no reason to question why so much power was being used in such a small home.

• Slideshow: Marijuana plants, home, men arrested

Police took WFTV's Daralene Jones inside the home in the Alafaya Woods neighborhood where she saw marijuana growing in various stages.

In the garage there were lamps producing light to help the plants grow, and some of the plants were still hanging to dry out.

In a back room were small plants, recently potted.

"I've never seen anything like this. [I] wasn't expecting anything like this to happen in this neighborhood. We've been here 22 years," said neighbor Juanita Jiminez.

Oviedo police arrested Denis Lopez, Michael Rodriguez, Carlos Rivera and Ivan Lopez

Investigators said the group used the home to grow the pot but lived in other homes in the neighborhood.

One of the men arrested lived next door to the grow house, police said.

"It's an elaborate set up. The inside of the house was redesigned, insulated, [had] extra air handlers," said Oviedo Police Chief Jeffrey Chudnow

The investigation is still ongoing. Investigators said they want to know who the marijuana was sold to and if the operation was confined to one house.

WFTV