Police bust marijuana growing operation in Myrtle Beach hotel room

Myrtle Beach police seized 18 marijuana plants and more than 200 grams of wet marijuana, along with other distribution paraphernalia, at a South Ocean Boulevard hotel room Tuesday, according to a police report.

Patrick James Sprout, 36, and Jonathan David Monroe, 34, are each charged with drugs /manufacture, possession other substance schedule 1, 2, 3, according to jail records.

Officers were called about 1:38 a.m. Tuesday to a hotel at 202 S. Ocean Boulevard as backup in reference to a burglary that other officers were investigating, authorities said.

When arriving on scene, one officer noticed a strong smell of raw marijuana wafting through the parking lot. He noticed the scent was coming from a hotel room on the second floor, and that the window for that room had condensation on it while the others did not, police said.

No one was in the room when officers knocked at the door, but then police saw two men enter the room. After the men went inside, the smell of marijuana became more evident, and police knocked on the door and noted Sprout appeared to be under the influence of something, authorities said.

Police spoke with the pair, and Sprout said the room was his and did not give police permission to search it. When asked how much marijuana was in the room, Sprout didn’t answer, but instead asked if he could make a phone call. He called his wife, and said, “I am going to jail,” according to the incident report.

Police obtained a search warrant and found:

▪  226.3 grams of green, plant-like material in multiple locations throughout the room. Some of which was hanging to dry in various spots in the room.

▪  18 marijuana plants of varying size. Nine plants were in the bedroom in a growing tent. Eight plants were found under a sodium light on the floor, and one plant was found in the hallway.

▪  Two grow tents.

▪  Two boxes of plastic bags.

▪  One 1,000-watt Ballast.

▪  $491 cash.

During the search, police noted the plants were in varying stages of development and appeared to be for long-term use. There were two grow tents, an area where small plastic bags were stationed, and an area where larger plants were being kept, police said.

Authorities also noted areas for harvesting, drying, and pruning were set up.

Sprout told police that he had not made all the money back from his initial start-up costs for the operation and said that Monroe was only there to help with some harvesting, according to the report.

The two men are being held at the Myrtle Beach Jail where their bond had not been set as of Wednesday morning.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 8:29 AM with the headline "Police bust marijuana growing operation in Myrtle Beach hotel room."