Sheriff: Furniture store a front for big marijuana grow in Gilroy

UPDATE: There’s more than meets the eye behind one local storefront in Gilroy, as police uncover a marijuana operation behind closed doors. Investigators are linking two cases together and they said the street value is over $2 million.

Downtown Gilroy businesses said the furniture shop at Monterey Road and Fifth Street always seemed suspicious because it didn’t have any employees, business hours and never any customers.

“From the outside looking in, you just wouldn’t notice anything. However the fact that you’ve got, you know a lot of merchandise just sitting there, not being used, nobody coming in and out, that’s kind of a red flag,” said Brian Dauenhauer, President of Gilroy Downtown Business Association.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team and Gilroy police said a lengthy investigation led to last Thursday’s discovery of more than 1,000 pot plants and over 50 pounds of processed pot inside the back storage area. Police said the front of the store was just a disguise to hide what was going on in the back. Some proof of the grow is still left behind with fertilizer pouring out the back door.

During the raid, investigators found the suspect inside. They said evidence from a similar case earlier in the month on Tomkins Court led them to this store.

“It makes us believe that this is a pretty complex operation. This is not just a rent a warehouse, lets grow some marijuana. This is someone who really thought this out and wanted to conceal what their real true intentions are,” said Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup.

Sheriff’s detectives also said the suspect is also accused of stealing electricity, posing a fire hazard with faulty wiring. While investigators are still trying to figure out who owns the building, local businesses said they’re happy to see it go.

“We’re bringing in new shops and restaurants and this in particular has been an eyesore for us,” said Dauenhauer.

A lot of people said they weren’t surprised to find out police discovered an illegal pot operation. They’re just hoping this sort of thing will go away, as the city tries to maintain a better image.

PREVIOUS STORY: After a long investigation the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team says it’s busted a large indoor illegal marijuana growing operation that used a furniture store as its front.

MET and the Gilroy Police served a search warrant at a building in the 7500 block of Monterey Road last Thursday.

The business posed as a furniture store, but investigators say it was never open for business, in fact none of the furniture was even for sale.

To the rear of the furniture store, detectives found over 1,000 marijuana plants and over 50 pounds of processed marijuana. The street value of all the marijuana located was over $2 million dollars.

Detectives also found the suspect was stealing an estimated $80,000 worth of electricity from PG&E and created a very serious fire hazard because none of the wiring was done to electrical code requirements.

Detectives arrested 39-year old Phuc Nguyen of Gilroy inside the “fake” furniture store. Nguyen was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on charges of theft of utilities and illegal cultivation of marijuana for sale. His bail is set at $200,000.

MET made a bust in early January at a warehouse on Tompkins Court that led investigators to this larger growing operation. There MET seized 300 plants and 25 pounds of processed pot.

In 2014, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team seized over 104,000 marijuana plants, over 250 pounds of processed marijuana, arrested 20 people and seized 3 firearms. All of the investigations by MET are regarding illegal marijuana operations that are not in compliant with the State of California laws regarding the use and possession of medicinal marijuana.

If anyone has any information about any illegal marijuana operations, please contact our Marijuana Enforcement Team at 408-808-4420.