Police Detectives Lure Suspected Pot Grower with Ransom Note
Steven Alan Locasio called a number left on a ransom note to negotiate a deal to get his marijuana back.
Little did he know, the suspicious ransom note was left by police detectives to lure the pot grower. "Thanks for the grow! You want them back? Call for the price...we'll talk" read the note left in place of Locasio's stash that was growing on a lot near his apartment.
According to the Associated Press, Locasio, 48, called the number 10 minutes later and offered $200 for the plants. Police detectives agreed to meet him for an exchange.
The sheriff's office in Monroe County, Florida says a resident called to report that the plants were growing in a wooded lot. Police detectives then found the plants and confiscated them.
Police found six plants, took them for evidence, and left behind the ransom note.
When Locasio showed up he handed police detectives the cash, and they arrested him, the sheriff's office said.
About 20 more marijuana plants, several Oxycontin Pills, and $1,380 in cash were found during a search of Locasio's apartment.
Florida laws make it a crime grow, produce, and possess certain plants and other naturally occurring elements used in the production of unlawful controlled substances, such as cannabis seeds and marijuana plants.
Federal and state drug cultivation laws vary according to drug type and the amount produced.
Locasio was arrested and booked into jail on drug charges. His wife Christine Locasio, 50, also was charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and sale of marijuana.
- Florida Marijuana Laws (FindLaw)
- Drug Cultivation and Manufacturing (FindLaw)
- Marijuana: a Smokin' Legal Issue (FindLaw's Insider)
- Drug Crimes - An Overview (provided by The Law Office of Matthew J. Davenport, P.A.)
- Classifications of Crimes (provided by Dickman Law Offices, P.S.C.)