7/19/11 Millersburg man charged in alleged marijuana grow operation

  • By Nick Sabo
  • July 19, 2011
  • 288
                        
SUMMARY: Charges date to June 10 search warrant A Millersburg man could face up to five years in prison for allegedly running a marijuana grow operation. John J. Wenker, 53, 389 Perkins Street, is charged in a grand jury indictment with illegal cultivation of marijuana, a third-degree felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The charges stem from June 10, when Millersburg police were called to Wenker’s residence for a domestic dispute involving two other male subjects. According to Millersburg Police Chief Thomas Vaughn, a witness of the domestic dispute informed police that a grow operation was upstairs. Vaughn said his department had collected prior intelligence indicating drug activity tied to Wenker but did not have enough evidence to pursue charges. “Once we got the domestic call we didn’t see anything” inside, Vaughn said. “A witness at the scene gave us enough info to go after a search warrant.” The grow operation took up two bedrooms upstairs. According to the returned search warrant, police confiscated 24 mature marijuana plants and 41 cups believed to contain germinating marijuana seeds. Fertilizer, potting soil and lights were also taken from the residence, as well as a grow table and drug paraphernalia. The upstairs windows were blacked out with curtains, Vaughn said. No further charges are expected. “We weren’t able to prove association with anyone else,” Vaughn said. Vaughn said bath salts containing synthetic drugs were also found in the residence, laid out in a line ready to be snorted. The village has since passed an ordinance making bath salts illegal to own or sell. The Medway Drug Enforcement Agency assisted in weighing the mature plants, Vaughn said. The weight of the marijuana came in over 1,000 grams, bumping up the severity of the illegal cultivation charge. Wenker was also charged in municipal court in connection with the domestic disturbance. Vaughn said Wenker got involved with the dispute when he alleged tried to stop the fight. Wenker is scheduled for arraignment Thursday July 21 in Holmes County Common Pleas Court.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load