IREDELL COUNTY, N.C.,None — A former first round NBA draft pick is in the Iredell County Detention Center after authorities said he was operating two elaborate indoor marijuana-growing operations — one in Mooresville and a second in Alexander County.
Rodney Charles White, 31, and his girlfriend, Nicole Denise Jackson, 30, both of Mooresville are facing manufacturing marijuana and other felony charges after search warrants were served at a garage under construction in Hiddenite and at White's home on Montibello Drive in Mooresville.
White, a former UNC-Charlotte basketball standout drafted in 2001, played for the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors before leaving the NBA to overseas. He is currently under contract with a team in South Korea.
Iredell County Sheriff's Office Capt. Andy Poteat said a tip came into the narcotics division during an ongoing investigation. That tip indicated White was involved in an indoor growing operation, Poteat said.
On Monday evening, detectives served a search warrant on White's property at 1830 Hill River Road, Hiddenite, and found a garage under construction there, Poteat said. Detectives described the garage as three-sided with a concrete floor. The garage doors had not yet been installed.
Inside the garage, Poteat said, they discovered a hole in the floor and that led to a basement, which contained the 62 plants.
Alexander County Sheriff Chris Bowman said the plants ranged from about eight inches to 4 ½ feet tall.
The plants were just the start of the operation, Poteat said. Inside were tents for incubating the plants, air and water filtration systems, high-intensity lights and numerous bags of plant nutrients.
"It was an elaborate indoor operation," Bowman said.
Authorities kept an eye on that property overnight, and on Tuesday morning, narcotics detectives from Iredell County served a search warrant at White's Montibello Drive home, Poteat said.
White and his girlfriend, along with three children under the age of 10, were inside the house, Poteat said. A family member looked after the children while White and Jackson were taken into custody, Poteat said.
In the second floor of the house, he said, detectives found a locked room that contained an apparent growing operation as well. Poteat said there were no intact plants, but they did find the remnants of plants, drug paraphernalia and weapons. Those weapons included two Mac 11 assault rifles, a handgun and a rifle, Poteat said.
White and Jackson face charges in Iredell County of manufacturing marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell/deliver marijuana, maintaining a dwelling to keep/sell marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Bowman said White will face similar charges in Alexander County.
Officials with the sheriff's office in both Iredell and Alexander counties said the investigation is ongoing and other charges could be forthcoming.
WSOC
