3 bed, 2 bath + spacious kitchen and a secret underground grow operation (14 Photos) : theCHIVE Basically a link dump, here are a few pics. Not sure how they got caught but pretty awesome digs for a SHTF.
I'm guessing the electric bill was a tad higher than what might be normal for a house that size. Wicked though.
Larger than I have seen around here, where most are large septic tanks or two connected, but not really unusual. I would say probably 25% of the larger properties left around here were (at some point) paid for by marijuana crops and undergrounds have tended to be the longest lasting operations. I know of one house that has about 800sq ft underground of which the current owner is unaware (as far as I know)...and they bought the place about 5 years ago. This one is also more obvious than any I have seen.
It is much more likely, that he was caught selling the product, in which they went looking for the source. Can't have one, without the other.
If they get nailed because of electricity use, then they deserve it since that is one of the oldest ways to find grow operations. I'd guess that someone that knew about it was arrested and ratted them out making a deal with the DA.
Pot Growing Gobbles Electricity, Study Finds - NYTimes.com From Marijuana Grow Operations - InterNACHI http://www.nachi.org/marijuana-grow-operations.htm#ixzz2O925VKar
All it was gonna take was for someone to walk in the garage...it's not like the door to the underground was hard to see. I have a friend who doesn't grow and has undergrounds it will take ground penetrating radar to locate... Just sayin'...
This story is several years old. Here is more information on it: Spark Report The Full Story Behind The Great Tennessee Pot Cave