Officials used IPL records and special camera for pot bust

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Officials said they used hours of surveillance, IPL records and a specialized thermal camera to bust a massive pot growing operation, according to a court document released Tuesday.

Last week, four people were arrested after police found 441 plants and about 60 pounds of processed marijuana in a warehouse near Shelby Street and Sumner Avenue. A criminal complaint identifies those suspects as Nigel S. DeChristopher, George Richard Dennis, Christopher Michael Batta, and Zachary Scott John.

The document states that police received an anonymous tip and began investigating the building and the suspects early this year. Investigators eventually pulled IPL records showing that in February, the warehouse used more than eighteen times the power that a nearby business used in a similar sized building.

Earlier this month, officials used a specialized camera to measure excessive heat inside the warehouse.

Officials received a search warrant and last week, after months of surveillance, they forced their way into the building.

Jacob Bernath owns a business next to the warehouse. He said one of the suspects, George Dennis, approached him early this year.

“He said ‘I’m going to be using a ton of power,’” Bernath said.

According to Bernath, Dennis said he’d be doing confidential research at the warehouse. Bernath said he shares a transformer with the property, and he’s now blaming multiple power outages over the last few months on the pot operation.

Court records show the suspects said the pot was going for $2,500 per pound or more. Police also searched the homes of the suspects and found tens of thousands of dollars and more marijuana. They also seized 550 rounds of ammunition from a garage and a pickup truck.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that in the Southern District of Indiana, defendants are either held or released on their own promise to return. All four suspects have now been released.