According to Early Police Cheif David Mercer, on 06/24/2010 Officers from the Early and Brownwood Police Departments and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24-year-old Brandon Martinez on charges of Delivery of Marijuana under 5 lbs, Possession of Marijuana under 5 lbs and Possession of Controlled substance over 1 gram under 4 grams.
Approximately 2 weeks ago Sgt. Shawn Dibrell with the Early Police Department learned of a marijuana grow house somewhere in the Early/Brownwood area. Sgt. Dibrell was able to track down a possible location and a suspect who was producing the marijuana.
Sgt Dibrell, Investigator Carlisle Gover with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and other officers conducted surveillance on the residence for several days to conclude the needed information for a search warrant.
On 06/24/2010 Sgt Dibrell obtained a search warrant signed by Judge Frank Griffin for a residence in the 1800 block of 9th Street in Brownwood. Officers conducted surveillance on the residence and observed the suspect Brandon Martinez leaving, at which time Martinez was stopped, detailed and served the search warrant. When Martinez was given the search warrant he hung his head and replied “You guys don’t know what you just got.”
When officers entered the residence they found a complete active Hydroponics marijuana grow system in the residence. The home had been transformed into a large grow house for the production of marijuana. Martinez provided officers with details of the house, labeling the rooms as the vegetation room which contained what Martinez described as “the mother station”. Another room was called the “packaging room” and a closet he called the “Drying room” which contained 98 marijuana plants hanging to be dried. A bathroom was transformed into a “cloning Room” where Martinez stated he was organically growing some plants which he stated 
would be high in THC and very expensive. 50 marijuana plants were removed from this room which Martinez said would have brought approximately $40,000 with a few months. A total of 175 marijuana plants were seized ranging in sizes from 8 inches to 3 feet tall depending on the stages of the grow.
The house was lined with thick plastic around the interior walls and contained a ventilation system, filters and several 1000 watt high pressure sodium lights, some which were on an electronic track which constantly rotated on the plants. Martinez estimated the growing 
equipment just under $10,000. Martinez was also experimenting growing mushrooms to begin selling them also but in Martinez’s words “hadn’t perfected it yet”.
Approximately $1500 in cash was seized along with a 2002 Jeep Liberty which Officers identified Martinez using delivering marijuana. Officers also seized the grow equipment in the house. Officers from the Early Police Department, Brownwood Police Department and Brown County Sheriff’s Office worked into the early morning hours dismantling the equipment and wrapping up the search warrant. Based on DEA standards of estimating the amount of marijuana produced per plant
is 1 pound per plant. Hydroponic marijuana normally sells for an average of $20 – $25 per gram.
I would like to praise the assistance provided by the Brownwood Police Dept and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. The agencies working together always ends up making big cases together which benefits the people of Brownwood, Early and Brown County. Marijuana is an increasingly huge problem everywhere
seems to be the starting point for a lot of young people into drugs and we will continue to work closely with the other agencies to be aggressive toward the interdiction of illegal drugs in this area.
