VALPARAISO | A Chesterton man, who

 

CHESTERTON | Police busted what they're calling the largest indoor marijuana growing operation they've ever seen Wednesday morning at a home in the Villages of Sand Creek subdivision.

The Porter County Drug Task Force said it seized more than 750 marijuana plants of all sizes, 90 pounds of loose marijuana and numerous grow lights from Alan Zimmerman's home at 1759 Summerlin Ct. in Chesterton.

Zimmerman was arrested Wednesday and is charged with Class C felony dealing marijuana and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia, charges that carry up to nine years in prison. Authorities say he could face federal charges as the investigation continues.

Task Force Supervisor Jeff Biggs said each plant produces about a pound of marijuana when mature, so Wednesday's bust ultimately removes from the streets $3.3 million to $5 million worth of marijuana.

Officers involved in the raid said they had never seen anything like what they saw in Zimmerman's home. The rooms in the home were being used for a variety of marijuana-cultivating tasks, everything from growing, to drying to processing.

"This is definitely the biggest one I've ever seen," Biggs said.

Biggs said local undercover officers got involved after Cook County, Ill., police contacted them and reported that Alan Zimmerman and his father, Jay Zimmerman, were being investigated on suspicion of cultivating marijuana at homes in Skokie, Ill., New Buffalo, Mich., and Chesterton.

Biggs said police got enough probable cause to obtain a search warrant for the Chesterton home, which was served Wednesday. Police said search warrants also were served at the Illinois and Michigan homes. No drugs were found in Michigan, but 40 marijuana plants and 35 pounds of marijuana worth $300,000 to $450,000 was found at the Illinois home, police said. A motorcycle and vehicles, including Porsche cars, were seized in Illinois.

Police said Jay Zimmerman was arrested in connection with the Illinois case while Alan Zimmerman was arrested in the Chesterton case. Biggs said the investigation into possible drug cultivating in Michigan continues.

Biggs said Alan Zimmerman did not talk to police, so they don't know where the marijuana he was growing was ending up. In addition to Cook County police and the Task Force, the investigation, which continues, has been aided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Porter County police, Chesterton police and Berrien County, Mich., police.

In addition to seizing marijuana and growing supplies, Biggs said police seized eight firearms, three sport utility vehicles, a Chevrolet Corvette and two Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Zimmerman in Chesterton and New Buffalo.

Zimmerman was arrested July 13 after Chesterton police received a call asking them to check on a man in a vehicle who was reported to be vomiting and urinating behind Towne Center at Porter Avenue and Ind. 49. Police arrested him on charges of driving under the influence of cocaine, possession of a hypodermic needle and possession of paraphernalia.