A New Smyrna Beach couple was arrested Tuesday night after deputies discovered a marijuana grow operation in their home.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said the East Volusia Narcotics Task Force launched their investigation after getting an anonymous tip late last year about a possible grow house at a home on Live Oak Street.
On Tuesday, investigators knocked on the door of the home and spoke with 59-year-old Ben Parker who denied any involvement with marijuana despite a strong cannabis odor coming from the house and his clothes.
Investigators then obtained a search warrant and found seven rooms in the home were being used for growing marijuana. Deputies said they found four rooms with live plants growing, one room with chemicals and electronics in it, one room used for processing, and a bathroom used to supply and drain water.
Deputies said Parker’s wife, 56-year-old Jo Ann Parker, also told them she did not know of anything illegal going on inside the house.
In all, investigators said they found 165 cannabis plants, several vacuum-sealed bags and glass jars of processed marijuana totaling about 3.2 pounds and a large digital scale and notebooks used as ledgers.
Ben Parker and Jo Ann Parker were both charged with trafficking in cannabis, manufacture of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia and transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail on $36,000 bond each.