POLICE SAY 163 POT PLANTS GROWING IN MAN'S HOME

Domestic Dispute Leads To Arrests

TAMPA - [redacted] grew cilantro, rosemary, oregano, Italian
parsley and three kinds of basil on the porch of his south Tampa rental home.

What police say he cultivated in two bedrooms and a hallway could
land him in a state prison for up to five years.

Tampa police arresting [redacted] on a domestic violence charge
Tuesday said they later uncovered 163 marijuana plants growing inside
the house at [redacted].

Sgt. Keith O'Connor, who runs a street-level antidrug squad, said
Winkleman had timed lights and a watering system for the plants, some
of which were 4 feet tall.

"The temperature and humidity was all controlled," he said.

The plants if harvested would produce more than 80 pounds of
marijuana that could sell for $160,000 to $400,000, O'Connor said.

[redacted] was being held without bail at Orient Road Jail on
Wednesday. In addition to misdemeanor domestic battery, he is charged
with felony cultivation of marijuana, felony possession of marijuana,
felony possession of cocaine and other charges.

Police are investigating whether the house is part of a larger operation.

O'Connor said his squad in District 1, which covers south Tampa, received a tip about [redacted] possibly growing marijuana in the
house. By coincidence, [redacted]'s girlfriend visited the district
office on Tampa Bay Boulevard on Sunday to report he had choked and
punched her, spurring a warrant for his arrest.

[redacted] was arrested after
she admitted to being part of the operation, police said. She faces
the same drug-related charges as Winkleman. She was expected to be
booked into jail late Wednesday.

Officers found [redacted] at home about 9 p.m. Tuesday and arrested
him on a domestic battery charge, O'Connor said.

During a routine search, officers found a bag of marijuana in
[redacted] pocket and asked whether he had more drugs, O'Connor said.

He said he had more in the house and invited officers into the living
room, where they saw remnants of marijuana leaves in a basket and
cocaine residue, O'Connor said.

They also saw through an open bedroom door a book about indoor
marijuana cultivation, O'Connor said.

Police obtained a search warrant and found plants growing in two
bedrooms and a hallway, O'Connor said.

Investigators reviewed [redacted] utility bills after his arrest and
saw he was paying about $400 for electricity per month during the
summer and about $200 last month, which is high for a three-bedroom
house, O'Connor said.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show [redacted] pleaded
not guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana, felony possession
of cocaine and other charges related to a 2004 arrest and entered a
pretrial diversion program. Jail records state he works as a tattoo artist.

Property records show the house is owned by [redacted]

He called the arrest "very disheartening," noting that [redacted] had
not given them any problems as a tenant.