Marijuana Cultivation—

Pair Arrested On Multiple Felony Drug Charges

By Andrew Gorosko

State police have arrested two residents of a Butterfield Road home on multiple felony drug charges in connection with their alleged cultivation of marijuana in a sophisticated year-round growing operation in the house’s basement.

State police spokesman Lieutenant J. Paul Vance said that the northwestern unit of state police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force recently executed a search-and-seizure warrant at 26 Butterfield Road, which is the residence of Michael Hearl, 38, and Tara Bryson, 36. State police arrested both people.

State police seized more than 200 marijuana plants, plus numerous items used in the cultivation of marijuana, according to court documents. 

Butterfield Road is a residential street lined with many large houses, which links Currituck Road to Hanover Road.

The search-and-seizure warrant stemmed from an investigation into information that indicated that the house was being used for marijuana cultivation, Lt Vance said.

Police investigators discovered a complex marijuana cultivation operation inside the building that would provide a marijuana crop year-round, the lieutenant said.

The Colonial-style house has 5,810 square feet of living area. It was built in 2006. It sits on a five-acre lot. Ms Bryson is listed as the property’s owner. The house is appraised at $1.14 million. The house is set at the end of a long driveway which has gate at the street. 

Newtown police assisted state police with the investigation. The probe is ongoing and more arrests are expected, according to Lt Vance.

Lt Vance said that the Butterfield Road marijuana-growing operation is not related to state police’s July 21 seizure of more than 200 marijuana plants that were found growing in the vicinity of an old sand and gravel mine off Button Shop Road in Botsford.

State police arrested Hearl on eight charges, seven of which are felonies. The charges are: possession of more than one kilogram of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, cultivation of marijuana, operating a drug factory, conspiracy to cultivate marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of a silencer for firearms, and risk of injury to a minor.

State police arrested Bryson on charges of possession of marijuana, cultivation of marijuana, and conspiracy to cultivate marijuana. All three charges are felonies.

Each person has pleaded not guilty in court to each of the charges pending against them. Each person also has elected to have a jury trial on the charges. Each is free on $25,000 bail.

The next court appearances for Hearl and Bryson are scheduled for September 2 in Danbury Superior Court.

 Attorney Jeffrey Chartier of the Bronx, who represents both defendants, said of the charges pending against them, “Things are certainly not as they appear.”

“Due to privacy concerns of my clients, I can’t comment any further at this time,” Mr Chartier said.

 State police arrested the pair at their Butterfield Road home on July 9, according to court documents.

 State police list a lengthy number of items that they seized from the property as part of their investigation into the marijuana growing operation.

These include, in no particular order, eight firearms which include five handguns, two rifles, and a shotgun; a large amount of ammunition; a Connecticut pistol permit in Hearl’s name; $1,000 in cash; various apparatus used for growing marijuana; dried marijuana; 203 marijuana plants at various stages of maturity; marijuana seeds; various chemicals; hydroponic growing devices; various electric lamps; a motorized track lighting system; portable air conditioners; an air filtration system; a carbon dioxide generator; a blower; financial records; thermometers; timers; a personal computer; and a growing ledger, among many other items.

According to court documents, the marijuana growing operation apparently had at least several dozen plants growing at any given time.

In the court documents, Hearl lists his occupation as a farmer. Bryson is believed to be the “girlfriend” of Hearl, according to state police.

The state police investigation found that 26 Butterfield Road was consuming more than four times as much electricity as comparable houses in the area, providing evidence of the heavy electricity usage that is required to grow marijuana indoors, according to court documents.

Police said that while attempting surveillance of the Butterfield Road property during their investigation, they encountered some electronic counter-surveillance equipment there which then caused them to modify their surveillance activity