"Police follow their noses to uncover dope stash by Jennifer Rosinski Thursday, August 14, 2003 Some things air freshener just can't cover up. Like 100 pounds of mar1juana, as one alleged dope dealer discovered yesterday when Boston police showed up at his Mattapan door. ``It's my understanding that the individual had numerous room deodorizers in an attempt to conceal the aroma,'' said Lt. Kevin Foley. ``As you can see, it was unsuccessful.'' Police found stick-up air fresheners, cans of Lysol and bottles of Windex throughout Sean Senior's apartment on Belnel Road in Mattapan, police said. ``You could not smell them because (the mar1juana) was so powerful,'' Foley said. Investigators also found the weed - with a street value of between $1,300 to $2,200 a pound - in the middle of the 30-year-old's bedroom, divided into pound bags. ``He was making a lame attempt to conceal it by covering it with a rug,'' Foley said. Officers from the Youth Violence Strike Force, MBTA and Housing Authority noticed the distinct aroma coming from the premises while seeking a suspect wanted on 10 warrants ranging from distribution of cocaine to indecent assault and battery on a minor, Foley said. The scent led police to apply for a search warrant. Along with the heady stash, police also found a 9mm handgun, bullets, two scales and some money. Senior will be arraigned today in West Roxbury District Court on charges of trafficking mar1juana and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition." "They tunnel into store for shoes, Bucs jerseys An impressive tunnel ends in the golf section of a Sports Authority store. One man is arrested, but authorities think he had help digging. By TAMARA LUSH, Times Staff Writer © St. Petersburg Times published August 14, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAMPA - They dug for at least a week, in the humid Florida air, through 40 feet of dirt and sand. Then it was time to strike. Using chisels and sledgehammers, they smashed through the concrete floor to reach the loot. Priceless art? Wads of cash? Glittering jewels? Not exactly. "Several thousand dollars worth of Nike shoes and Buccaneer jerseys," said Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter. On Wednesday, Hillsborough sheriff's deputies arrested one man - Gary Leon Lowden, 43, who has no permanent address. They said he was still covered in sand after his subterranean journey. Authorities are now looking for accomplices in the unusual break-in of the Sports Authority store at 1730 Fowler Ave. E. The tunnel, which started at a nearby apartment complex, was 40 feet long and about 5 feet wide. It had been reinforced with wooden pallets, said Carter, indicating that the shaft had caved in at some point. At 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, sheriff's deputies were called to the Sports Authority after something activated a motion sensor alarm. When they arrived, they saw no evidence of a break-in - doors were locked and aluminum security gates were tightly shut. The deputies left, assuming it was a false alarm. A half hour later, a cleaning crew went inside to scour the store before it opened. They spotted someone running down an aisle. "While the cleaning crew was inside, they saw an individual disappear into the floor," said Carter. The crew then found a hole in the floor, in the golf section. The cleaning crew called the Sheriff's Office. Deputies showed up again. As they investigated the hole, someone called 911 to report a suspicious person who was hanging around the Village at University Square apartments - a complex in back of the Sports Authority. There deputies found a man, later identified as Lowden, covered in sand. Nearby, boxes of sneakers and red Buccaneers jerseys - many in infant and childrens sizes - were stashed near a trash bin, Carter said. About $3,500 worth of merchandise was recovered. Deputies found something else: the other end of the tunnel. It was big enough for a person to easily crawl into. Wooden pallets sat nearby, and authorities believe those were also used to hide the hole in the ground. A pile of dirt sat next to the entrance. Management at the Sports Authority declined to comment on the break-in. Carter said the entrance to the tunnel was on the north side of the apartment complex property, obscured by two fences. The tunnel will be filled in, authorities said. The Sports Authority was closed for several hours Wednesday morning. Carter said several other people must have played a role in digging the tunnel. Lowden has lived at local homeless shelters in the past, according to records. He was arrested on charges of burglary and grand theft and is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail. Lowden has a long arrest record dating back to 1980, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He served an 18-month prison sentence on burglary and grand theft charges and was released in January. - Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report."
