North Laurel Man Indicted for Marijuana Operation

A North Laurel man was indicted on drug possession and manufacturing charges after police found he was growing 170 pounds of the drug in his home, according to the Howard County State's Attorney's Office.

Manoj P. Unni, 30, of the 9300 block of Cross Timbers Court, Laurel was indicted after Howard County Police searched his home and found a marijuana grow operation in the basement.

Unni, formerly a Baltimore police lab technician, ran a marijuana-growing operation that police say involved hundreds of plants found in his basement. He stopped working for the Baltimore City Police in 2006, said police spokesman Anthony J. Guglielmi.

He faces up to 16 years in prison and/or $46,000 in fines if convicted, according to court records.

In May, the Howard County Police vice and narcotics division searched Unni’s home following an anonymous tip and located a “substantial marijuana grow operation in the basement, including sophisticated growing equipment,” police said.

Detectives said they found 341 plants yielding, at full maturity, approximately 170 pounds, worth $510,000.

"At this point, there's no indication this is connected to anything of a larger scale," said Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn. "Our investigation will continue on what was happening with those drugs after they left the residence."

Police said they also found high-intensity lights, a dehumidifier, air filters, water pumping systems, lighting timers, a CO2 system and a ventilation system.