novelraw Chapter 1239 - 680: Arrest (Part 2)
Chapter 1239 - 680: Arrest (Part 2)
Julia considered for a moment: "Do you think it's necessary to inform the DEA?"
Mark: "No need, we have jurisdiction too. It's just that the current clues are insufficient, only suspecting him of marijuana cultivation. Would applying for a search warrant with this be a problem?"
Julia: "It shouldn't be. Think about what Yang said when he arranged for me to check the power situation; he probably already has suspicions."
Mark nodded, first made a call to the surveillance team, shared his suspicions with them, and asked them to keep a close watch on the two adjoining houses, then started the car and returned to the office.
-----------------
Jimmy listened to Mark and his team's account, nodded: "Not bad, although it's speculation, with a power usage report, it's sufficient. Go write an application."
Mark looked at Jimmy in surprise: "Is this reason enough?"
Jimmy nodded: "Paired with the power report, it's enough. There's an abnormal smell, and the power usage is unusual. We have reason to suspect he's cultivating marijuana, which perfectly fits within our authority to investigate and arrest him."
Mark smiled: "Thank you, Yang."
Jimmy: "When you go to make the arrest, remember to bring more people, make it a bit more imposing."
Mark nodded, and Julia also joined him in writing the application report. Jimmy was finally at ease; they succeeded; otherwise, he didn't know what other reason to find to go over there.
His initial plan was to talk to the complainant and see if he could calm things down. But when he discovered the plants in the basement, that idea was gone. He wasn't interested in talking to those kinds of people. To prevent any unexpected incidents, he specifically arranged for a surveillance team to go over.
The surveillance team's recordings can be used as evidence, meaning that as long as they record illegal activities of the people in the house, they can directly confirm and arrange for an arrest.
He told Kevin about this, already thinking that the person caught would definitely be linked to his brother-in-law, and if it connects, the New York District Attorney's office will also be passive, which gives Kevin a lot of maneuvering space as a local bigwig.
Earlier, he really hadn't considered letting Mark directly approach the opposers, as those involved in marijuana cultivation are usually not easy to deal with. Any mishap would be bad for everyone involved. But Martin gave Jimmy a reason, a very reasonable one, making their visit well-founded. It would be best if they found clues, if not, they would continue waiting on the surveillance team.
Luckily, their noses were quite sharp, enough to distinguish the smell of marijuana. With that, it's enough as long as nothing unexpected happens, like the house suddenly catching fire and destroying everything. The next time they visit, they should be able to catch the perpetrator and the evidence together.
The search warrant was quickly applied for. The next day, Mark and Julia, along with a three-person support team and two forensic members, set out for the target house.
"FBI, open up, we have a search warrant!"
This time, it was an open and official visit. The surveillance team confirmed that the person was still inside the room and hadn't gone out; it was the perfect timing.
Cole was originally inside the room and upon hearing the FBI banging on the door, immediately ran towards the rear door. An agent by the front window happened to look in and saw someone trying to escape, immediately shouting: "He's running, at the back door."
Mark: "Breach the door."
"Bang, bang," two door-breaking bullets fired, then a kick sent the door leaning to the side. Mark and they rushed in, running towards the back door.
As expected, without any surprises, Cole hadn't gotten far before Mark caught up with him. To be honest, Mark's physical fitness hadn't faltered since retirement; he ran faster than the other agents by quite a bit.
Cole was tackled to the ground by Mark, pointed at with a gun, and brought back to the house. Mark told Julia to watch the back door and keep an eye on the neighbors, while another agent was tasked with the front door of the neighboring house, as he led the team in the search.
Once the forensic team saw that everyone was back, they entered from the door, and with the support agents, started inspecting the room. Very quickly, they found marijuana cultivation setups in one of the rooms and the basement: a two-level structure with grow lights, just as Mark had guessed. They had just reached the flowering phase; if they waited any longer, the rooms would be unable to contain the pungent odor.
Mark placed Cole in the car and called Jimmy to report the situation. Just as he was speaking, Julia, who was observing the back door, shouted: "Stop! Don't run! I need support."
The agents inside the room immediately put down what they were doing to run out and support Julia. This time, they were a bit slower than before, but still successfully captured Cole's neighbor.
The forensic team, following the electrical wiring, confirmed that a wire was directly connected from next door, meaning the electricity for the basement and small room was actually being shared between the two houses. This also avoids the electricity usage being excessively suspicious, as within normal comprehension, no one would know if a high-power appliance like a swimming pool heater was in use.
Quite clever, knowing to have someone share the load to avoid self-exposure, though they completely underestimated that the New York District Attorney's office, as their supposed shield, couldn't stop these somewhat reckless FBI agents.
Senior Assistant District Attorney is already a considerable rank. If it were other local departments in New York, they might really have to show some respect.
Upon receiving Mark's notification, Jimmy immediately called Kevin, "Our people have executed the arrest, if you have any plans there, you may begin."