Tip leads police to marijuana ‘grow houses’

By Tony Gordon
Posted Saturday, April 16, 2005

A tip to Lake County CrimeStoppers led police to a pair of Waukegan houses used for nothing other than the growing of marijuana, and more than $1 million in drugs and weapons, police said Friday.

Michael W. Mattes, 52, of 1903 Camp McDonald Road in Mount Prospect, is charged with multiple felonies after police raided the houses and his personal residence.

Lake County CrimeStoppers Director Andy Anderson said his agency received a tip about a “grow house” in Waukegan about 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Anderson said the caller told CrimeStoppers a house at 12442 Atlantic Ave. was unoccupied and unfurnished and had been rented specifically for the purpose of growing marijuana.

Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group agents, as well as investigators from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service, went to the house about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Mattes had a loaded .38-caliber revolver in his possession when he encountered police, Shanes said. Mattes is barred from possessing weapons in this state because of felony drug convictions in 1976 in DuPage County and 1979 in Cook County.

Police said he consented to a search of the home and they found 81 marijuana plants growing in a sophisticated irrigation and lighting system and 93.4 pounds of processed marijuana in a plastic garbage bag.

A .22-caliber rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun also were found in the home, Shanes said.

Mattes then agreed to allow police to search his Mount Prospect home, Shanes said, and they discovered another 19.7 pounds of marijuana and a 12-gauge shotgun there.

About 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Mattes led police to a second grow house he rented in Waukegan at 2050 Walnut St.

Once there, Shanes said police found 500 marijuana plants growing and a third 12-gauge shotgun.

Using a state police formula for calculating the street value of drugs, the marijuana and the plants are worth between $1.16 million and $2.55 million.

Shanes said Mattes is charged with multiple counts of manufacture of marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana plants and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Mattes faces a potential prison sentence of more than  100 years if convicted of all counts.

Shanes said the investigation of Mattes’ activities remains open and police are attempting to determine if others were involved.

Mattes is being held on $1 million bond and is due to appear in court Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk said the arrest by the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group will add fuel to the fire in the House to continue funding for such law enforcement groups in Illinois.

“This is the type of action that justifies the funding of the Byrne grants, which provides the financial basis for MEG units in Illinois,” Kirk said. “The president is suggesting that Byrne money be combined with other law enforcement funding, but those of us in Congress are committed to keeping the MEG units in operation.”