A homeowner in the Covington subdivision of Lake Ramsey and two other men were arrested last week for growing 125 marijuana plants in a house that had been converted to a “very sophisticated” greenhouse, according to St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain.

At a Tuesday press conference, Strain and Mandeville Police Chief Rick Richard showed a videotape of the inside of the home outfitted with an extensive watering system and indoor growing lights that allegedly provided the grower, Joseph Jackson, 37, 14102 S. Lakeshore Drive, Covington, with a 7 to 8 pound crop of marijuana every 16 weeks. According to Strain, the current crop would cost $32,000 on the street.

The investigation into the pot farm started about two months ago when the St. Tammany Parish Narcotics Task Force made up of Sheriff’s deputies and Mandeville police officers arrested Michael Goslee, 1225 W. 20th Ave., Covington for possession of high-grade marijuana.

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Goslee’s arrest let officers to Jackson, who also owned a sandwich shop in Covington. Other sources made officers believe Jackson was cultivating marijuana at his home. They got a search warrant for the home and made a raid last Thursday.

“You could smell the marijuana when you walked in,” said Capt. Will Hart of the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office.

Inside, officers found most of the rooms upstairs set up for cultivation with organic soil, irrigation and lighting systems, and extra insulation on the walls. Also all the windows and doors to the outside were sealed.

Besides the pot, police also found filters, electric timers, an air conditioning system dedicated just for the plants and about a half- ounce of powder cocaine, scales and marijuana pipes. Also at the house was Jackson’s friend, Derek Granger, 20, of Folsom.

“It was very elaborate,” Strain said. “He had to know how to work with electricity and plumbing to do all this.”

According to Hart, none of the neighbors knew what was going on inside the home.

“They thought he was a good neighbor,” Hart said.

Police believe the operation had been going on for about a year, and that Jackson allegedly grew and processed three marijuana crops.

“It was a successful business for him,” Hart said.

Both Strain and Richard think that Jackson’s operation may have been the source of a large crop of very high quality marijuana that had been showing up in west St. Tammany Parish in the last year. Richard said his police officers have been finding more and more high-grade pot on routine traffic stops.

“It had to come from somewhere,” Richard said. “This is a very significant find for this parish.”

Strain agreed and added this is the second pot-growing operation busted in the parish in the past several years.

The last operation was shut down three years ago in Abita Springs. Strain said the marijuana and the cocaine was troubling.

Strain does not believe that Jackson’s sandwich shop was a center of drug activity, nor was it used for laundering money. But he did say the investigation continues and to expect more arrests.

“We are confident we have shut down this major operation,” Strain said.

Jackson was booked with distribution and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jackson was released Friday on a $100,000 bond.

Granger was booked with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Granger is still in jail on a $750 signature bond.

Goslee, who was arrested Aug. 23, on two counts possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia was released from jail Aug. 31 on a $190,000 bond.