A local florist has been growing more
than flowers, authorities said Wednesday.
Alton police and officers of the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration reported finding Tuesday more than 200 grams
of marijuana and lamps and other equipment for cultivating
marijuana in an apartment above Kinzel Flower Shop, in the
700 block of East Fifth Street, and in a house across the
street.
They arrested the shop's owner, Jeffrey A. Izard, 52, and
his daughter, Chelsea N. Izard, 22, who live above the shop.
Also arrested were Jeffrey Izard's sons, Matthew T. Izard,
24, and Chad A. Izard, 30, who live nearby, along with Reuben
R. Escalera, 30, who also lives nearby.
Madison County prosecutors on Wednesday charged each with
possessing between 30 and 500 grams of marijuana with intent
to deliver. They were being held in lieu of bail set at
$15,000 each.
Chief of Detectives Lt. David Hayes of the Alton Police
Department said the arrests followed a tip telephoned to
a DEA office in St. Louis.
Hayes said DEA and Alton officers went to the address about
10:45 a.m. Tuesday and found more than 200 grams of cultivated
marijuana in the residence above the shop. They arrested
Jeffrey and Chelsea Izard. Two hundred grams is less than
half a pound.
Additional information led the officers to a house across
the street from the shop. There, they encountered the three
other suspects and a fourth person carrying buckets of potting
soil and trash bags containing marijuana out the back door,
Hayes said.
A warrant was obtained and officers searched the house,
finding a sophisticated indoor marijuana-growing setup in
the basement, Hayes said.
He said Jeffrey Izard owned that house and another nearby
that he rented to Escalera.
Hayes said it appeared the operation had been under way
at least for months and perhaps longer than a year.
He said officers believe the operation was geared to produce
marijuana for more than personal consumption but not large-scale
distribution.
Hayes said Alton police were familiar with the flower shop
but only as a legitimate business.
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