Cops: Pot grower busted in Round Lake Park

Round Lake Park police say they have broken up a sophisticated marijuana-growing operation that a resident operated inside his house.

Stephen J. Blank, 50, of 321 Kenwood Drive, was charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis, unlawful production of cannabis sativa plants and unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver.

Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said officers had a search warrant issued by a Lake County judge when they arrived at Black's house at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Blank was playing on an electric drum set when police entered, Filenko said.

He said cops found 39 marijuana plants in various growth stages in an attic, which was kept warm with lighting and reflective materials. He said PVC pipe was used for an irrigation system to the plant containers.

Officers also found packaging materials, pipes, bongs, scales and about 4 ounces of processed pot in plastic bags ready for sale, the chief said.

"An investigation led our officers to that location," said Filenko, declining to reveal specifics.

He said another man in the Kenwood Drive home at the time of the search was not charged.

Filenko said there have been other similar incidents in the village in recent months.

Over the summer, he said Round Lake Park police on a call at what was described as a suicidal man's house when they noticed "a glow" on the inside that led them to pot plants. There was another instance of police finding an outdoor marijuana operation that was next to a house where they were responding to a call, Filenko said.

"The ability to learn how to (grow marijuana) and all the chemical agents involved are so easy to obtain all over the Internet," Filenko said.

On a much larger scale, McHenry County sheriff's police searched a Woodstock home Oct. 20 where they said there was evidence of a dismantled indoor growing operation that would have produced 3,500 to 5,000 marijuana plants.