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As the Eversource employees tried to gain access to the Jackson Road property, a man allegedly stuffed an envelope full of $100 bills into one of the employee’s pockets and shooed them away, police said.
Yebin Mai, 28, of Staten Island, New York; and Bin Huang, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, were arrested on probable cause related to the large-scale marijuana grow operation, police said.
The weed police found at the Savoy grow house has a street value of around $3 million, police said.
The investigation began on July 29 when an Eversource crew responded to 72 Jackson Road in Savoy for an electrical problem, police said. The powerlines had been overloaded and damaged by excessive electricity use from what would eventually be identified as the grow house.
The property was using $10,000 worth of electricity each month, police said.
When the linemen went to the house to talk to the occupant, a man, who said he did not speak much English, exited the home and refused to grant the Eversource crew access to the home’s electrical hookup.
When one of the linemen explained that they’d have to shut the power off to fix the problem, the man, later identified as Mai, allegedly became upset and stuffed an envelope full of money into one of the employee’s vest pocket. The employee attempted to give the money back, police said, but was refused. At this point, the Eversource employees left and requested police presence to avoid any direct conflict with the occupants.
Troopers from the Cheshire police barracks arrived and while speaking to the Eversource employees noticed a white Ford pickup with a New York plate attempt to leave the property. Police stopped the truck in an attempt to negotiate property access for the linemen, police said.
An inspection of the home’s four outdoor electric meters revealed wires and metal that had melted due to a large amount of electricity being used. Determining the situation unsafe, the company cut power to the home, police said, until repairs could be made.
While outside the home, troopers observed that once the power was cut - and the “distinct” sound of fans ceased - a strong odor of fresh marijuana started wafting around the property. Police followed a path from the house into the nearby woods where they found used potting soil and discarded marijuana stalks and roots.
Upon questioning, Mai said he had no idea why he was at the house, police said. Police allowed Mai and his passengers to leave in the truck and the envelope full of money was returned to him, police said.
Police continued to investigate and learned that the property was owned by Huang. He purchased the home in 2017.
With what the officers had observed and the profound use of electricity at the property, police were granted a search warrant for the home, police said.
The search was executed on July 31. No one was home. Officers found a cellar full of neatly arranged marijuana plants under grow-lights, a sophisticated hydro system, and advanced ventilation. They found another five rooms stuffed with pot plants. Upstairs, it was more of the same - cannabis plants everywhere.
A total of 3,598 plants -weighing 560 lbs. - were seized from the building.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, police got a tip that there were people inside the grow house. Soon thereafter, Mai allegedly left the property in that same white Ford pickup. He was stopped by police and placed under arrest, police said. The passenger was Huang, who was also arrested.
An investigation is ongoing.
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