The man arrested for allegedly turning a two-story colonial-style home into a marijuana “grow house” has previous drug convictions on his record — including one for for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Also — his house in New York is in foreclosure.
Those were some of the details that emerged Friday during the arraignment of Jose Estevez, 45, of Nanuet, N.Y.
Estevez was arrested Thursday evening after city police and DEA agents raided a house Estevez was renting at 39 LaRovera Terrace.
Cops discovered the house was being used as a place to grow and cultivate marijuana plants. A total of 312 plants were discovered inside.
The Ansonia bust is apparently related to another large drug bust in Milford.
The DEA in Boston did not return a phone call Friday.
Estevez appeared before Judge Burton Kaplan in Superior Court in Derby, who lowered his bond from $250,000 to $175.000.
State prosecutor Paul Gaetano argued that Estevez’s bond should have remained at $250,000, citing the past drug convictions in New York.
Paul Eschuk, the public defender representing Estevez during his court appearance, said those convictions were more than 10 years old. There was no further info on those arrests.
The warrant cops used to get into his house Thursday wasn’t on file in Derby court as of 4 p.m. Friday.
Eschuk said Estevez has lived in New York for 40 years and works as a butcher. He also has three children — one in college and two in middle school, Eschuk said.
The case was continued until Jan. 3.
The Raid
Authorities served a search and seizure warrant at 5 p.m. Thursday on LaRovera Terrace.
Estevez, 45, was alone in the house — with hundreds of marijuana plants, police said.
Cops said they found a smorgasbord of stuff used to grow marijuana. Among the items seized:
* light ballasts
- air conditioner units
- heating lamps
- an irrigation system
- several heaters
Four marijuana plants were spotted on the second floor, along with more heating lamps and hoses.
A room above the garage had 47 marijuana plants, police said. The marijuana has an estimated street value of more than $300,000, police said.
There were “numerous ballasts, an air conditioner, heating lamps, an irrigation system and several heaters. A black Ford Explorer was seized,” Lt. Andrew Cota said in a prepared statement.
Estevez was charged with:
- operating a drug factory
- cultivation of marijuana
- possession of more than 4 ounces of marijuana
- possession of marijuana with intent to sell
- possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a daycare
- possession of marijuana within 1,500 feet of a daycare
- possession of drug paraphernalia
Cops said Estevez tapped into a United Illuminating power source to keep his operation going.
Anita Steeves, a spokesperson for United Illuminating, didn’t want to go into details about how Esteves allegedly managed to tap into UI’s power, citing the pending criminal investigation.
She confirmed that UI technicians assisted Ansonia police with a “theft of services” complaint. The police brought in UI to cut the power.
Tapping into or rigging electricity is extremely dangerous, Steeves said.
(If you know someone doing it, Steeves said to call 800 – 891-2922 or e‑mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).)
Steeves said it was unlikely that neighbors on LaRovera Terrace saw an impact on their utility bills — unless Esteves had managed to tap into their electricity, such as through an unprotected outdoor outlet.
Estevez was renting the three-bedroom house, which was built in 2004. According to property records, it is owned by Patrick and Nicola Kelly, who purchased it for $368,834 in January 2005.
The house is within 1,500 feet of Small World Daycare on Crowley Street.
The Ansonia PD statement follows:
