WPD: Illegal Marijuana Grow on Elmwood Avenue Shut Down

WARWICK, RI — Warwick Police announced today they shut down an illegal marijuana grow operation at 1700 and 1708 Elmwood Ave. Friday, arresting four men, following an investigation begun in September.

Warwick Police report that four Wawick men and one Johnston man were arrested during the raid on the buildiings:

• Arman Matevosyan , 39, of 61 Fairfax Dr., Warwick, RI
• Gagik Davtian, 62, of 101 Sefton Ave., Warwick, RI
• Raymond Renzi, 53, of 630 Greenville Ave., Johnston, RI
• Artak Ghazaryan, 43, of 61 Fairfax Dr., Warwick, RI

Police report that detectives learned in September that an illegal marijuana growing operation had been working out of the buildings, recruiting youths to help cultivate and harvest illegal marijuana at the sites. Following their investigation,Warwick Police detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for the buildings, confirming active illegal marijuana grows.

The grow operations contained marijuana plants in various stages of growth, lighting, and irrigation and ventilation systems. Also located during the search were bags of packaged marijuana, buckets of recently harvested marijuana and equipment and packaging material commonly used for the sale and distribution of illegal narcotics. In total 368 marijuana plants in various stages of growth and over 27 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized.

Due to the condition of the properties and the hazards posed by electrical wiring, both were condemned and power to the property was cut, police report. One building was the former home of a barber shop, Classic Blends, which moved to 876 Post Road in March, but Warwick Police report no businesses were operating in the the Elmwood Avenue space Friday.

Warwick Police offered the following statement about the investigation, arrests, and seizures:

“While some may feel the enforcement of illegal marijuana grow operations shouldn’t be a priority of law enforcement we often find such operations nestled in residential neighborhoods. This creates a high volume of neighborhood complaints. These illegal operations are often a serious fire hazard and exhibit many building code violations. Lack of enforcement is simply not an option particularly when intelligence suggested area juveniles were being recruited and more serious and deadly narcotics may also be manufactured on site. This particular site was just steps away from a City of Warwick recreation facility where youth sports are played.”