Weare home among 10 found to be part of area marijuana-growing operation
BY ROD HANSEN
A single-story Weare home at 1070 River Road was seized as part of “Operation Green Thumb,” an investigation of alleged marijuana-growing sites throughout the region.
The River Road residence contained 370 plants with an estimated street value of $1.5 million, according to information from New Hampshire State Police.
Like most of the 10 homes across southern New Hampshire seized in the drug operation, the house is isolated and located in an upscale neighborhood. The home is listed to Robert Nguyen for a purchase price of $406,900.
The deed for the house was recorded in April of this year, said Judy Rogers of the town assessing department. Nguyen is listed as the homeowner, and Harvey Construction of Bedford is the seller, Rogers said.
The investigation of the home barely involved local police, said Weare Police Chief Greg Begin.
“Weare police had minimal involvement in the investigation,” said Begin, adding the department participated mostly in gathering evidence from the home.
Police never had cause to visit the home previously, and Begin said he had doubts about its occupancy.
“Nobody lived there,” Begin said.
A recent visit to the house by a reporter showed no cars in the driveway, nor any decorations or other signs of occupancy.
As the result of marijuana seizures in Hooksett and Epsom, police executed simultaneous search warrants of homes in Concord, Derry, Pembroke, Andover, Chester, Hopkinton, Londonderry, Canterbury and Weare morning of Wednesday, Dec. 13. In carrying out the warrants, police seized the homes along with thousands of marijuana plants and marijuanagrowing materials, and initially took six people into custody.
The overall investigation revealed a sophisticated marijuana- growing operation involving the theft of a large amount of electricity from a number of power sources, according to state police. Investigators said the power thefts may have been accomplished by bypassing electric meters using both underground and aboveground methods.
Authorities say some of the electrical bypass methods constituted a safety hazard, citing a recent incident in Hooksett in which electrical arrangement caused the home to catch fire.
No arrests have been announced in connection with the River Road home. Police say 6,000 marijuana plans were seized in the operation with a total value of $24 million.