FruityBud
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A traffic stop led authorities to 10,000 to 15,000 marijuana plants growing eight to 10 feet tall near the Muskingum-Perry county line.
Going on a hunch, Perry County Sheriff Randy Barker asked the Bureau Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) to check for a growing operation around Township Road 71A.
Working late into the night Monday, deputies with the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office, Perry County Sheriff's Office and BCI took what they believed to be anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 plants from property owned by American Electric Power (AEP) and state-owned land used for hunting.
The operation was located about a mile in a section of secluded woods off Township Road 71A.
"We took a shot in the dark at this one," Barker said. "I couldn't be tickled more. We've put a hurt on these boys."
Authorities had to use four-wheelers to make their way back into the thickly wooded area, as there were no discernible vehicle trails back to where the plants were found. Heavy equipment was brought in to clear a road to the property.
Officers pulled the plants up, or used machetes to cut them loose. The sounds of them calling out the number count - one, two, three - could be heard all around as they collected 20 plants to each bundle in order to keep track. After each bundle was done it was collected in a truck.
More than 2,000 plants were cleared out of the first lot alone.
BCI officers went around tagging evidence throughout the scene. Aside from the thousands of plants, two large tents and two tents made out of tarps were on the site. Sleeping bags and clothes were in the tents, propane tanks, heaters and cookware were on site and socks and tooth brushes were hanging in trees.
Muskingum County Sheriff Bob Stephenson said the plants were in five plots, all eight to 10 feet tall. The plants were growing and hanging from trees to dry out.
Barker said his office took seven people into custody as a result of the traffic stop Sunday on Porter Run Road and they're being held at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail. They're being held on consumption in a motor vehicle and felony possession charges, and Barker said he'll likely pursue federal charges.
Barker said he believes the suspects had been living on the property since mid-April and were using narrow footpaths to get in and out of the property.
He said fingerprints taken from the suspects will be compared to fingerprints found when 6,000 marijuana plants were discovered in a field off of #8 Hollow Road in Harrison Township in early August. No arrests have been made in connection with that bust.
He said a Perry County sheriff's deputy was responding to a domestic call Sunday night on Township Road 71A when a male suspect fled in a sport utility vehicle. Barker said his officer also had reason to believe the vehicle had recently been involved in a hit-skip. The deputy caught up to the SUV on Porter Run Road in Roseville, where Barker said the deputy found the vehicle sitting in the middle of the road.
"He stopped to ask why they stopped and found that the people were intoxicated and smelled marijuana," Barker said.
The suspects were taken into custody and the sport utility vehicle was impounded, however, another vehicle that had parked in front of the sport utility vehicle fled.
"I'm tickled to death we can eradicate these plants," Barker said. "It's hard to say where this was going to go. It could have been going into the streets here, Perry County and all across Ohio and even the U.S. We're taking some serious money here."
hxxp://tinyurl.com/46j7jz
Going on a hunch, Perry County Sheriff Randy Barker asked the Bureau Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) to check for a growing operation around Township Road 71A.
Working late into the night Monday, deputies with the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office, Perry County Sheriff's Office and BCI took what they believed to be anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 plants from property owned by American Electric Power (AEP) and state-owned land used for hunting.
The operation was located about a mile in a section of secluded woods off Township Road 71A.
"We took a shot in the dark at this one," Barker said. "I couldn't be tickled more. We've put a hurt on these boys."
Authorities had to use four-wheelers to make their way back into the thickly wooded area, as there were no discernible vehicle trails back to where the plants were found. Heavy equipment was brought in to clear a road to the property.
Officers pulled the plants up, or used machetes to cut them loose. The sounds of them calling out the number count - one, two, three - could be heard all around as they collected 20 plants to each bundle in order to keep track. After each bundle was done it was collected in a truck.
More than 2,000 plants were cleared out of the first lot alone.
BCI officers went around tagging evidence throughout the scene. Aside from the thousands of plants, two large tents and two tents made out of tarps were on the site. Sleeping bags and clothes were in the tents, propane tanks, heaters and cookware were on site and socks and tooth brushes were hanging in trees.
Muskingum County Sheriff Bob Stephenson said the plants were in five plots, all eight to 10 feet tall. The plants were growing and hanging from trees to dry out.
Barker said his office took seven people into custody as a result of the traffic stop Sunday on Porter Run Road and they're being held at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail. They're being held on consumption in a motor vehicle and felony possession charges, and Barker said he'll likely pursue federal charges.
Barker said he believes the suspects had been living on the property since mid-April and were using narrow footpaths to get in and out of the property.
He said fingerprints taken from the suspects will be compared to fingerprints found when 6,000 marijuana plants were discovered in a field off of #8 Hollow Road in Harrison Township in early August. No arrests have been made in connection with that bust.
He said a Perry County sheriff's deputy was responding to a domestic call Sunday night on Township Road 71A when a male suspect fled in a sport utility vehicle. Barker said his officer also had reason to believe the vehicle had recently been involved in a hit-skip. The deputy caught up to the SUV on Porter Run Road in Roseville, where Barker said the deputy found the vehicle sitting in the middle of the road.
"He stopped to ask why they stopped and found that the people were intoxicated and smelled marijuana," Barker said.
The suspects were taken into custody and the sport utility vehicle was impounded, however, another vehicle that had parked in front of the sport utility vehicle fled.
"I'm tickled to death we can eradicate these plants," Barker said. "It's hard to say where this was going to go. It could have been going into the streets here, Perry County and all across Ohio and even the U.S. We're taking some serious money here."
hxxp://tinyurl.com/46j7jz