Ellicott City Pair Charged With County's Largest-Ever Marijuana Growing Operation

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- A major marijuana grow operation was hidden in the basement of a home in a Maryland neighborhood. Howard County police made a record-breaking bust.

Rick Ritter has more on the masterminds police say are behind the operation that was found in an upscale community.

Neighbors say this is the last thing you'd expect in their area.

More than 600 plants were found, potentially worth more than a quarter of a million dollars.

There's video of the largest indoor marijuana grow operation in Howard County history. Police say two renters, an Ellicott City duo, were behind the elaborate scheme.

"It's sad to hear," said Shelley Harris.

Just last month, the home along the 14000 block of Triadelphia Road in Glenelg was sold at auction. When the new owner stopped by the house, he saw a suspicious car in the driveway and called police.

Investigators say when officers arrived on scene, they could immediately smell a strong odor of marijuana just from standing in the driveway.

Howard County detectives quickly obtained a search warrant. Inside, they found a growing operation with hundreds of plants in various stages, along with suspected crack cocaine, heroin, prescription pills, a shotgun and $75,000 in cash.

Neighbors in the upscale community were left stunned.

"I was even thinking that's probably why they're here in Glenelg. Somewhere else it would be suspected but here there's not a whole lot going on," Harris said.

But they were suspicious at times.

"It was never manicured or lived so we always wondered about that house," Harris said.

Police say the two renters in the home were 48-year-olds Casey Fowler and Daniel Sims. Fowler was arrested during the search warrant and Sims was later tracked down and taken into custody. The massive bust has left both with a rap sheet of charges.

They are both being charged with multiple marijuana counts and firearm charges.

Fowler has been released on $50,000 bond; Sims is currently in the detention center on $45,000 bond.