INLAND POT GROWERS HIJACK ENERGY

Recent raids on suburban homes-turned-pot-farms uncovered crimes of
another sort related to marijuana cultivation -- energy theft.

It didn't compare to the estimated $60 million to $80 million street
value of the more than 14,000 marijuana plants netted in several
raids Friday at Inland area homes, including three in Corona.

However, the suspects -- seven arrested so far -- allegedly stole
more than $30,000 worth of electricity per home over several months.

The stolen power went to fuel 1000-watt sun lamps, power box
converters, industrial-sized air purifiers and wall fans needed for
indoor cultivation, according to Investigator Juan Zamora, a
Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman.

The names of the suspects have not been released and the
investigation continues, he said.

Tom Boyd, a Southern California Edison spokesman, declined to comment
on energy theft, citing a company policy intended to protect ongoing
investigations.

He did provide a copy of Edison's energy-theft program overview. It
lists identifying and investigating energy theft, enforcing laws and
preventing customers from paying the cost of lost revenue among its
objectives. Energy theft totaling more than $400 is a felony,
according to Edison.

Gordon Taylor, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration office in
Sacramento, said his agency has raided 50 indoor marijuana-growing
sites in Northern California in the last year or so.

In every instance, the suspects had tapped into the power lines and
bypassed the meters, stealing $3,000 to $4,000 worth of electricity
per month per home, Taylor said.

"There are a number of people in California who don't view marijuana
as a very serious drug, but you have to look at the big picture," he
said. "It's not just about use."

Taylor said the trend of indoor pot farms started with Vietnamese and
Asian organized crime rings in British Columbia, Canada. Those
operations have been duplicated in Northern California by similar
groups and are now trickling south, he said.

Most law-abiding residents don't want marijuana sites in their
neighborhoods, so they watch for such signs as people avoiding
contact with neighbors, sealed blinds and trash cans not out on
pick-up days, he said.

"The community can have a direct impact by staying tuned in," Taylor said.

Anyone with information or leads can call the Riverside County
Sheriff's Department We-Tip line at 800-472-7766 or 951-955-6384.