Jose Estevez, the man who allegedly operated a marijuana grow house out of a newly-built, two-story colonial home in Ansonia, is due in Derby Superior Court today (Wednesday, Jan. 11).
The court docket lists Estevez’s upcoming appearance as a “jury trial,” but that doesn’t mean a trial will happen Wednesday, said his attorney Kevin Condon.
Instead, a plea agreement could be discussed Wednesday.
“The appearance will keep the lines of communication open,” Condon said.
Estevez was arrested in December 2010, after police allegedly discovered he was renting a house at at 39 LaRovera Terrance for the sole purpose of growing marijuana.
Several law enforcement agencies were involved in the bust, including Ansonia police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Officials found 312 marijuana plants and a host of growing equipment inside, including heating lamps, hoses, an irrigation system, air conditioning units and heaters. Click here to read more about the initial marijuana bust and Estevez’s arrest.
A search and seizure warrant obtained by the Valley Independent Sentinel in late June 2011 revealed that DEA agents used wire taps and GPS to track Estevez and other suspects in Ansonia. While tracking Estevez, DEA agents also got turned on to another, allegedly related, grow house in Milford. Click here to read more about the warrant details.
A law enforcement search warrant also showed that in October 2010, DEA agents in Bridgeport received information from their counterparts in New York indicating that Estevez “was involved in a multi-state marijuana cultivation and distribution organization.” The warrant said Estevez worked as part of a larger organization “comprised of Hispanic males who operate clandestine grow operations out of residential houses in the northeast.”
Condon said a resolution to the case will probably be worked out before it goes to trial.
“With the assistance of Judge Kaplan, who has an uncanny knack for resolving difficult issues and this case is a difficult one, I think we’ll be able to get it solved in the best interests of both parties,” he said.
Estevez has five felonies and a single misdemeanor pending in court. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
