Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the new mobile transport vans encouraging the public to report drug crimes paid off big last night when Sheriff’s deputies, acting on a hotline tip, seized a total of 519 marijuana plants illegally grown in two Glendale residences.
Arpaio says the residence in Glendale, located at 13139 West Sierra Vista Drive contained 423 plants along with all kinds of growing apparatus. The suspect, James Joseph Goulding age 29, was taken into Sheriff’s custody after he led deputies to a second residence where 96 additional plants, six pounds of package marijuana, a small amount of LSD and a 12 gauge shotgun were seized.
That tip originated from a call that came into the Sheriff’s new drug hotline number (602.262.3784). That new number was recently displayed on nine (9) various MCSO transport vehicles operated by Arpaio’s office. (photo attached) The vans travel hundreds of miles each day reaching thousands of potential viewers.
“We’ve already received over 50 tips on this hotline in a few short weeks which resulted in 31 investigations not including today’s seizure. I’d say that’s a good return on investment,” Sheriff Arpaio remarked.
In a separate case but also last night, deputies were called to a Gilbert residence where 32 marijuana plants were seized along with four (4) grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Two persons were arrested by Sheriff’s deputies and booked into jail.