Sheriff's deputies locate marijuana thanks to tip

ZALMA, Mo. -- Six 4-foot-tall marijuana plants were found in the closet of a Bollinger County man, who was arrested for the clandestine cannabis.

Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, officers from the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department issued a search warrant for the suspect's home on County Road 614 near Route W in rural Zalma around 9:30 p.m. Monday, chief deputy Leo McElrath said.

"They'd been there for quite a while," McElrath said of the plants.

The plants were inside a large closet in the bedroom of the home with a fluorescent grow light. Also in the home were a digital scale, security cameras, rolling papers, potting soil, fertilizer and a small amount of dried marijuana, McElrath said.

"We found all kinds of things that would indicate it was a business," he said. McElrath did not know how much money may have been coming in from the suspected sales.

The home's sole occupant, a 27-year-old man, was arrested without incident while driving back to the residence, McElrath said. He was driving the vehicle while his license was revoked.

This was the first bust Bollinger County has had this year for a marijuana-growing operation, according to McElrath.

The suspect, who was on probation for a prior drug conviction, had not been charged as of Tuesday night, according to Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Gray.

Charges in connection to the plants and materials found in the home would be pursued, Gray added.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127