Police say they broke up a Kurtistown marijuana grow operation that included 309 marijuana plants and 68.12 pounds of dried processed marijuana, arresting the property owner.
Police went to a Hawaiian Acres home in the 16-1600 block of Pulelehua Street on Tuesday and executed a search warrant on the home and two adjoining vacant properties. No one was home when the warrant was issued, but John Perreira, 59, returned home after the search began and was arrested, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
The majority of the plants were grown inside the house, police said, with 207 plants recovered in three places. Police said they found 61 plants on one of the properties, while 41 plants and “numerous pots with cut stems” were located on the vacant properties.
Officers also seized $19,500 in cash they plan to move for forfeiture.
Perreira was charged with four counts of first-degree promotion of marijuana, four counts of second-degree promotion of marijuana and six counts of possessing drug paraphernalia at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday. His bail was set at $90,000.
He remains in the cellblock pending his initial court appearance tentatively scheduled for Thursday.