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Urban pot farm uncovered

By MICHAEL A. MOHAMMED
Published December 21, 2006

TAMPA - Tampa police officer Dan Evers saw bright light pouring from under a closed bedroom door and knew he was onto something.

Police first came to the South Tampa house in response to a domestic abuse call Wednesday. They spotted signs of drug use, got a warrant and came back for a better look.

That's when Evers, an officer with a squad that targets street drugs, opened the bedroom door and found an elaborate marijuana-growing operation spread through three rooms of the inconspicuous ranch house at 4213 W Bay Ave.

The musky odor of marijuana filled a briefing room at Tampa Police headquarters Wednesday afternoon. Drug enforcement officers covered a table with 163 pot plants ranging in size from 3 inches to 4 feet tall.

Matthew J. Winkleman, 34, of 4213 W Bay View Ave. had lights, fans, timers and irrigation pipes to grow the plants, officers said. If all had reached maturity, they would have been worth $500,000, they said.

"It's quite arrogant," Officer Keith O'Connor said. "He and his girlfriend were living there and making a business out of it."

Winkleman was being held without bail on charges of domestic violence, felony charges of growing marijuana, possession of cocaine and marijuana, and two charges each of possession of drug paraphernalia.

This operation came to light when his live-in girlfriend, Holly Gail St. George, 28, called police to report a domestic violence incident. When they came to investigate, police said, they found evidence of pot and cocaine use in the living room. St. George was jailed on similar drug charges Wednesday. She was being held on $6,500 bail.

Police said they kept their eyes open for drugs when they came to the house. Residents had called police to report suspicious activity: people coming and going late at night from Winkleman's house.

Winkleman also had a record of drug arrests. In late 2004 he faced felony drug charges involving cocaine and a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. Records show he pleaded not guilty and entered a pretrial diversion program. He was placed on a sheriff's work crew in 2005 and successfully completed his probation last May.

Neighbors were surprised at the size of the operation.

"With drug dealers you'd think there'd be noise, or parties or something," said Heather Fracaro, who lives nearby.

But Michele Muller, who has lived in the area 17 years, said that in recent weeks she heard shouting from the house. "My daughter, who's 25, said she smells pot outside every time she comes over here," Muller said. "But I never noticed it."

Michael A. Mohammed can be reached at mmohammed@sptimes.com or 813 226-3404.

[Last modified December 21, 2006, 00:00:28]