Deputies "stumble upon" 300 pot plants

ARCANUM, Ohio (WDTN) - At least $300,000 worth of marijuana plants were discovered early Thursday morning by Darke County Sheriff’s deputies in the 3900 block of Red River-West Grove road near Arcanum.

Deputes ascended a Greenville Fire Department ladder truck to get a good look at the sprawling grow operation. The plants were hidden behind an outbuilding, peeking out from behind dried corn stalks and posing as an everyday vegetable garden.

The plants weren’t hidden very well. In fact, deputies say they stumbled across the operation this morning.

“His efforts in concealing his marijuana grow operation is marginal at best. It was fairly obvious from the road that there was marijuana growing on the property,” said Chief Deputy Mark Whittaker.

In all, deputies estimated there were more than 300 plants, protected by a security system of sorts: lights mounted in the grow area.

“This is probably the largest cultivation operation we've taken down in several years,” Whittaker said.

Deputies used a chainsaw to cut the tree-like trunks of the plants, some of which measured more than 10 feet tall, and loaded them onto dump trucks.

Meanwhile, investigators questioned the suspects – a woman and her adult son – admitted to growing pot last year as well.

Deputies were greeted by a shotgun when the arrived on the property. The suspect told officers someone stole his first batch of plants and said he armed himself because he though the thieves were coming back again.