Large Marijuana Field Found in Chicago

A massive field of over 1,500 marijuana plants has been found in Chicago with an estimated street value of $7 million to $10 million. The plants covered the area of two football fields, with some of them as tall as Christmas trees.

The field was set back from the streets about 100 yards and hidden by wild flowers. Police were first alerted that something suspicious was going on in the area when a truck driver reported seeing a man running from the area after a police helicopter was hovering overhead during a training exercise. From the helicopter, Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy Edward Graney saw “five rows of plants, straight line configuration,” indicating that the plants were planted by a person. The plants had not been discovered before since the trees overhead obstructed the view.

As of now, no arrests have been made and there are no known witnesses to identify who was growing the marijuana. The grower had a camp nearby with a sleeping bag, a tarp, soda bottles and Cheetos wrappers. Police have likely recovered DNA evidence from those items. In Pennsylvania all felons must now provide a sample of their DNA for a law enforcement database, and it is likely that the grower’s DNA may be in a similar database and the police may therefore be able to identify the person even though they did not catch him that day.

If you have been charged with a marijuana or drug-related crime, contact a Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney at Fairlie & Lippy to discuss your case.