242 Pounds of Pot Seized in Port Richey Bust

PORT RICHEY, FL — A 34-year-old Port Richey man faces a number of criminal charges after Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies say they found 38 marijuana plants inside his home on Ocean Side Drive Tuesday.

According to the agency, an investigation into Aunlesky Fernandez Gonzalez’s activities was kicked off when Duke Energy tipped them off about a possible theft of electricity. A warrant was served at Fernandez Gonzalez’ home on Tuesday morning.

Once inside the home, deputies say they found 38 marijuana plants that were between 5 to 6 feet in height each. All told, the plants weighed 242 pounds, the sheriff’s office said. Two rooms of the home had been “specifically converted and modified for the purpose of growing and harvesting marijuana," the agency wrote in an email to media.

In addition to the plants, deputies also seized two 5-ton AC units, the agency noted.

Fernandez Gonzalez was charged with theft of services and cultivation of marijuana. He was booked into the Land O’ Lakes Jail. His bond was set at $50,000.

Photos courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office