# Florida Keys cops leave ransom note for pot, nab suspected grower



## ozzydiodude (Jan 5, 2010)

Posted on Tuesday, 01.05.10
BY CAMMY CLARK


MARATHON -- After a citizen's tip led undercover detectives to six large marijuana plants growing in a vacant wooded lot in the Florida Keys, the detectives half jokingly left a ransom note.

``Thanks for the grow! You want them back? Call for the price (305) 481-4494. We'll talk.''

The detectives never expected the grower of the illegal drugs to call. But 10 minutes later, he did.

``He's got to win one of America's dumbest criminal awards,'' said Col. Rick Ramsay of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Steven Locascio, 48, negotiated to get his six-foot-tall pot plants back for $200, saying he couldn't believe he had to pay to get his own marijuana back.

``He probably put a lot of sweat and hard work and energy into growing the plants,'' Ramsay said. ``The plants were worth about $1,000 each. So he probably thought it was a good deal to get them back for only $200.''

The undercover detectives loaded the six plants in the back of a pickup truck and drove to the corner of Coco Plum Drive and Avenue H in Marathon. After Locasio handed over the cash, he was arrested.

A search warrant was issued for his nearby apartment, where detectives found 20 smaller marijuana plants, four pounds of freshly harvested marijuana in a freezer and several 80-milligram Oxycontin pills. Detectives also seized $1,380 in cash.

Locascio and his wife, Christine Locascio, 50, were both charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and sale of marijuana.

``If he didn't show up, there would have been no way to prove who grew the plants,'' Ramsay said. ``The detectives left the note as a last ditch effort, thinking he would never call. But sometimes people do stupid things.''

*How dumb can you get?*


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## benevolence6gc (Jan 5, 2010)

It's a shame we as a people still have to fear growing a plant, and lessons like this one remind those who forget.


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## 2Dog (Jan 5, 2010)

eh people that stupid need to be caught...imagine him out driving? oxycontin is a horrid drug only safe for people who are dying and in immeasurable pain, it is so addictive... he makes all pot growers appear stupid what a joke.


Greed will get u everytime wont it?


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## lordhighlama (Jan 5, 2010)

almost can't feel sorry for this guy... how dumb can you get is right.


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## SmokinMom (Jan 5, 2010)

What an idiot!!!


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## PUFF MONKEY (Jan 5, 2010)

what if the guy would have shown up and immediately shot those cops as revenge for stealing and ransoming his "hard work and sweat and energy"....think about it LEO ..you guys got lucky.


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## 2Dog (Jan 5, 2010)

or not shown up but followed them and found out where they live...its all crazy...


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## PUFF MONKEY (Jan 5, 2010)

yup...it's an ugly game...and we have more right to grow than they do to bust us... on a moral level..and thats all i care about.


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## 2Dog (Jan 5, 2010)

I agree, the oxy is why I have no pity for him. plus being so stupid lol...


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## PUFF MONKEY (Jan 5, 2010)

the other day a female friend of mine told me how her husband "fronted" $450 worth of pain pills to a rather unsavory person...my only response was to hang my head and swear....i have never come across a healthy looking pill head. i'm with my dog 2 dog...i got nothin' for em'


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## The Effen Gee (Jan 6, 2010)

How do we know the oxy was not for personal use? fro him or his wife?

Making assumptions is making assumptions. 
Just like assuming weed is bad and calling the cops.

Be careful how you "Fill in the gaps" with personal logic, it can fool you.


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## PencilHead (Jan 6, 2010)

Hey, this is Florida where everyone is guilty until old enough to be on Social Security.  At least it wasn't that perennial fav down here: bathtub meth.  The Keys may be a popular tourist destination, but remember that by geography alone, they're rather backwater and everything associated is affected by the dead-end street mentality that is the Keys.  Nothing seperates the Conk from the Cracker but a nice rawhide bullwhip.  Can anybody say Yee-Haw?


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## kaotik (Jan 6, 2010)

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> How do we know the oxy was not for personal use? fro him or his wife?
> 
> Making assumptions is making assumptions.
> Just like assuming weed is bad and calling the cops.
> ...


that's what i was thinking. there are many medical patients who don't have a script, those pills and the pot may have been for personal pain relieving meds. 
i don't know about you, but i hate to be judged by others because i smoke marijuana, so i don't judge others for their choices.. as like effin sid, you don't know their situation.

he was dumb to call the number though obviously.


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## zipflip (Jan 6, 2010)

thats nuts :rofl:


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## WeedHopper (Jan 6, 2010)

All I wana know is,,who was the ******* who reported the plants in the 1st place? Brown nosing bastages.


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## 2Dog (Jan 6, 2010)

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> How do we know the oxy was not for personal use? fro him or his wife?
> 
> Making assumptions is making assumptions.
> Just like assuming weed is bad and calling the cops.
> ...


 

if it was for him or wifey it would be prescribed..he wouldnt be in trouble for it.


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## monkeybusiness (Jan 6, 2010)

2Dog said:
			
		

> if it was for him or wifey it would be prescribed..he wouldnt be in trouble for it.


Not necessarily. There's lots of people who smoke for medical reasons that don't have a prescription. I've gotten a pill or two from a friend when i needed them for a medical reason. Certainly didn't have a prescription. Bottom line is we don't know the whole story..


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## The Effen Gee (Jan 6, 2010)

They never said it was illegal oxy did they?

See why any news report can be biased, and folks just nod thier heads "Uh-huh".

He had oxy...so what?

How many of you smoke pot because you like to get high?
Guilty.

How many of us use it medically specifically?
Nolo Contendre.

If the couple owned a shotgun, bet that would have made the article too.

"...also found in the residents, oxycontin and a LOADED GUN"

...see how easy that is?


It's called spin baby, and everyone is guilty.


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## 2Dog (Jan 6, 2010)

monkeybusiness said:
			
		

> Not necessarily. There's lots of people who smoke for medical reasons that don't have a prescription. I've gotten a pill or two from a friend when i needed them for a medical reason. Certainly didn't have a prescription. Bottom line is we don't know the whole story..


 

if he can afford that much street bought oxy then he or his wife can afford a dr office visit for a legal script if they really qualify for it...most people on oxy are dying/chronic..Here it is commonly stolen from pharmacys..They take the oxy and leave everything else..maybe it isnt as a big of a problem where you live. I think this is cool info..

*Q: How Does OxyContin Abuse Differ From Abuse of Other Pain Prescriptions?*

A: Abuse of prescription pain medications is not new. Two primary factors, however, set OxyContin abuse apart from other prescription drug abuse. First, OxyContin is a powerful drug that contains a much larger amount of the active ingredient, oxycodone, than other prescription pain relievers. By crushing the tablet and either ingesting or snorting it, or by injecting diluted OxyContin, abusers feel the powerful effects of the opioid in a short time, rather than over a 12-hour span. Second, great profits are to be made in the illegal sale of OxyContin. A 40-milligram pill costs approximately $4 by prescription, yet it may sell for $20 to $40 on the street, depending on the area of the country in which the drug is sold.(1)
OxyContin can be comparatively inexpensive if it is legitimately prescribed and if its cost is covered by insurance. However, the National Drug Intelligence Center reports that OxyContin abusers may use heroin if their insurance will no longer pay for their OxyContin prescription, because heroin is less expensive than OxyContin that is purchased illegally.(2)
*Q: Why Are So Many Crimes Reportedly Associated With OxyContin Abuse?*

A: Many reports of OxyContin abuse have occurred in rural areas that have housed labor-intensive industries, such as logging or coal mining. These industries are often located in economically depressed areas, as well. Therefore, people for whom the drug may have been legitimately prescribed may be tempted to sell their prescriptions for profit. Substance abuse treatment providers say that the addiction is so strong that people will go to great lengths to get the drug, including robbing pharmacies and writing false prescriptions.


hxxp://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/ms726/


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## 2Dog (Jan 6, 2010)

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> They never said it was illegal oxy did they?
> 
> See why any news report can be biased, and folks just nod thier heads "Uh-huh".
> 
> ...


 
well his first mistake was growing on someone else land..especially when he was able to grow in his home. Greed will always get people.  I for one do smoke for medical reasons..often not even getting high. Most people cannot even tell the difference. Wondering why you are so protective of this less then inteligent greedy being?  He makes all of us look bad...


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## monkeybusiness (Jan 6, 2010)

2Dog said:
			
		

> if he can afford that much street bought oxy then he or his wife can afford a dr office visit for a legal script if they really qualify for it...most people on oxy are dying/chronic..Here it is commonly stolen from pharmacys..They take the oxy and leave everything else..maybe it isnt as a big of a problem where you live. I think this is cool info..
> 
> *Q: How Does OxyContin Abuse Differ From Abuse of Other Pain Prescriptions?*
> 
> ...



Maybe you're right. But it's still obviously speculation on your part. Statistics and probabilities don't equal facts.
 I can also afford a DR visit but i usually don't go if i know what i need and can get it w/out. Doesn't mean i don't need it for medical reasons. 
 Not trying to step on your toes just pointing out that we really don't know the facts, just the likelyhoods. And i hope i'm never condemned by the masses based on likelyhoods. I hope you never are either.


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## The Effen Gee (Jan 6, 2010)

He grew more than what most of you feel "meets personal needs" so he grew more for others.

If you folks think growing for profit is easy, I invite you to try.

If marijuana did not have a narcotic or euphoric effect, I doubt this website would even exist.

Humans have been altering their brains and attempting to please ourselves since recorded history was first recorded.

Do not confuse stupidity with often despiration. The guy prolly did not know the cops had taken his plants.

Imagine yourself in that position....every vicodin in your cabinet, perscription or not would end up in the story.

We CANNOT blame drugs like oxy, only the behavior.

There are few things humans cannot becoe addicted to. Very few.



			
				2Dog said:
			
		

> well his first mistake was growing on someone else land..especially when he was able to grow in his home. Greed will always get people. I for one do smoke for medical reasons..often not even getting high. Most people cannot even tell the difference. Wondering why you are so protective of this less then inteligent greedy being? He makes all of us look bad...



Heres the thing,

The article said "Vacant" wooded lot. Not private property.
26 plants is not greedy, thats a years supply for some of us.
Greed fueled the fires of cannabis indoor growing and breeding...bigger, better yields. If not for the driving force of greed, we would be years behind.


I am wondering why folks are so easy to condemn our bretheren? 
You want legalization? For who? The intelligent?

I want certifications of that nature for parenting. THen maybe the inherent problems like rampant drug addiction would fade away, along with womanizing and gambling.

My point is that you 2dog, and folks who jump to conclusions on a half written third party story need to take a step back and think.


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## ozzydiodude (Jan 6, 2010)

It is still stupidity. If your plants are gone and there is a note you can bet your bottom dollar that LEO has then. In 25 years of growing and yes I grew for profit I have had patches taken by thiefs and LEO never had a thief leave a note but LEO has a few times "We got your plants your next"  usually on a LEO bussiness card. I even got lucky one time they put a camera in the trees and I spotted it before it got my picture. 

As far as the pills go they don't mean a thing, just something else for LEO to use to make their selfs look bigger and better.


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## FruityBud (Jan 6, 2010)

That's just crazy, what was he thinking?

I know nothing about the law in the US, but is demanding a ransom illegal?


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## 2Dog (Jan 6, 2010)

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> He grew more than what most of you feel "meets personal needs" so he grew more for others.
> 
> If you folks think growing for profit is easy, I invite you to try.
> 
> ...


 

I have no issues with his ammounts or the plants..I have grown more and sometimes do grow for profit so you are preaching to the choir. But I would never grow on someone elses property, also would never have that kind of scary narcotic drug in my home unless someone was dying and it was prescribed. I agree to disagree. Hope I havent offended you.


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## The Effen Gee (Jan 6, 2010)

No offense taken, just a point missed.

The article does not say weather or not it was private property, perscribed oxy or not.

My point is one cannot draw ones own conclusions based on the total lack of evidence.


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## 2Dog (Jan 6, 2010)

I look at it this way...he doesnt own the property...so he shouldnt grow on it your point was not missed just not agreed with..I love debating with you effen!      I will say this if it was prescribed I hope he sues and gets money for that part...But ...if he had been smart about his grow kept it in his home none of this would be upon him.


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## the chef (Jan 6, 2010)

uh i got a question! If this clown had 4 pounds why would he pay $200.00 fer six plants? Sounds like a bad case of cranial rectitus.....head up your butt syndrome. If he was charged with intent to distribute then the oxy's play a big part wiether they were fer personal use or not. And at 50 why would his idot wife go along with it? She had to know with that much cheeba sitiing in the fridge. Maybe they thought it was a rip job but like i said with 4 lbs why sweat 6 plants?


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## IRISH (Jan 7, 2010)

i've got to add, your right 100% ef'n...if there was a gun, the paper would report it. oxy? report it. this is straight from my prosecuting attorney 2 weeks ago..."the cops are trained to tack on every charge they concievably can. a grow? charged with cultivation. pills? another drug charge, possibly federal?...a gun? again, state, or fed gun charge. a bong? paraphanalia charge. a scale? sales"...

he went on to say that the more charges they brought you up on ensured a conviction that much easier on most , if not all, if the cultivation was proved...his only concern was the conviction rate accredited to his portfolio, for HIS future aspirations...

theres always two sides to every story.( the good ones anyway. lol. )...


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## PencilHead (Jan 7, 2010)

I agree with the Gee 100%--it's poor human behavior not an inanimate object like a pill.  That's only the excuse.  Art Linkletter's daughter got high on LSD and jumped off a building, so he ran around for years telling everyone how LSD killed his daughter, how it made her think she could fly so she jumped off a building.  I ended up working with one of her childhood friends.  The friend said that she jumped off the building because her father was an impossible, controlling, religious ashhole.  Behavior or an inanimate object like a pill?  Sure, drugs, alcohol or even poor upbringing can help one to become a thug, but those things are only catylists for people who are already predisposed to such antics.  JMO.

Now the certification for child bearing the EffenGee suggests I would vote for in a minute.  You have to be certified to hang drywall in this state but any cretin with genitalia can breed--and breed they do.  Don't belive it?  Spend a few minutes at any Walmart anywhere.


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