Pot bust pb 6/28

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- The sight of a trail leading from a Piedmont home landed one man in jail after authorities saw suspected marijuana plants growing at the end of it.

Rickey W. Durbin, 40, of Piedmont was charged with the Class B felony of production of marijuana by Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Jon Kiser. He is being held in the Wayne County Jail on $25,000 cash/surety bond.

Durbin was arraigned Thursday before Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller. His next court appearance before Schuller is set for July 11.

"We were flying the helicopter over there doing eradication operations" Wednesday morning, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Randy Dye. "During a fly over of the residence, Cpl. J.L. McCollough and Cpl. D.K. Striegel observed marijuana plants growing behind the residence.

" ... There was a trail leading from the back of the house directly to the plants, which is how this arrest was made." Durbin was home when officers arrived. He was arrested without incident at 10:53 a.m. by Dye, Trooper M.G. Slaughter and Cpl. M.E. Carson on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana.

The 25 suspected plants were reportedly found out in the open about 20 yards behind Durbin's Valley Drive residence outside of Piedmont.

"They ranged anywhere from a few inches to three foot tall," Dye said. "They weren't huge." Although this wasn't the "biggest bust" eradication team members have made, its "a fair number of plants to be growing near a residence," Dye said.

The plants were harvested Wednesday by the officers and will be kept as evidence in Durbin's case, Dye said.

Had those marijuana plants grown to maturity, their street value would have been estimated at $1,000 per plant, Dye said.

While officers made an arrest this time, that is not always the case when they find suspected marijuana plants growing.

"If they're out in a remote area, it's hard to make an arrest," Dye said. "When they're that close to a residence, it's a little easier to do."