Sticky-icky Self Storage

Salomon Penaloza-Benitez probably should have thought twice when he complained about mice in his storage unit last week in Ocala, Cal. A valid complaint, yes. But Penaloza-Benitez wasn’t exactly a valid renter, and it’s not always a great idea to draw attention to yourself when you’re housing 20 POUNDS of marijuana. Four days later Penaloza-Benitez was arrested and charged with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana of more than 20 grams – remember, he was storing an obese infant worth of marijuana. Last month another man was arrested in Pennsylvania who was running a little marijuana trafficking operation out of a storage unit. He had a shipment of 300 pounds of marijuana – that’s no infant, that’s an NFL lineman – which police valued at $300,000. Now, it would be a little presumptuous to say that self storage is a hotspot for illegal drug activity; but as with any rental businesses, sometimes shady activity does go on. If you’re a self storage renter and you see some sort of suspicious activity going on, be sure to inform the manager on site, who will inform the local authorities if need be. Also read StorageFront’s Security Considerations for tips on how to seek out a safe place to store – just make sure your belongings are not green, leafy and illegal.