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Ex-Husband Of Singer Lil' Mo Charged With Growing Pot In His Pasadena Home

PASADENA, Md. (WJZ)—The former husband of a popular R&B singer is charged with operating a marijuana growing operation inside his Anne Arundel County home.

Rochelle Ritchie has pictures of the illegal drugs found inside the home and why neighbors are so upset.

Anne Arundel County Police were tipped off to the hidden drug operation after someone smelled the scent in the air.

Augustus Stone is behind bars after police found 158 marijuana plants inside his home on 230th Street in Pasadena.

"They believe this individual was manufacturing marijuana, distributing marijuana for two to three months out of the home," said Justin Mulcahy, Anne Arundel County police spokesman.

Police say Stone lived in the home with his weed and for several months went undetected until someone became suspicious.

"The tip set off the investigation from an observant citizen, just the amount of traffic coming and going," Mulcahy said.

The plants were pretty significant in size. One by one, the plants were moved out of the home into the custody of police.

"He had big operation going. Rally big. That's a lot of plants," a neighbor said.

Lil' Mo
R&B singer Lil' Mo. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for BET)

The street value of the drugs found inside the home is $127,000. And according to neighbors, the operation all took place next door to an in-home daycare.

"Kids walk past the house to go to the bus stop. It's right there. My kids are here all day. They really could have, unfortunately, ran into that," said Belinda Pantoja, neighbor.

Neighbors say the home is a rental and has had a number of interesting characters come and go.

"It was somebody else that had drugs one time," a neighbor said.

Police also found 30 grams of loose marijuana. If convicted, Stone faces up to 16 years behind bars.

He is the ex-husband of R&B singer Lil' Mo.

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