JON'S CELL: Sheriff’s deputies from Sawyer County, Wisconsin, recently arrested a 56-year-old Stoddard man after learning that he was allegedly operating a pot manufacturing and trafficking business at a home within the city limits of Hayward.
Operating on information and belief about a tip they received, the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office investigated some local high school students about drug trafficking. The information gleaned from the investigation led them to the property owned by the arrested man.
Police executed simultaneous search warrants at both of the suspect’s properties in Hayward and Stoddard. Investigators found an indoor hydroponic grow operation they characterized as “sophisticated” at the Hayward site and confiscated 67 marijuana plants at various growth stages. The Stoddard property yielded cash, guns and processed marijuana.
A chief deputy stated, “This is an ongoing case, as investigators continue to pursue leads developed during Friday’s searches. At least two more Wisconsin counties have been linked to this case. More arrests may be forthcoming.”
The arrest is a result of a joint investigation of agents and investigators from the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, the West Central Multiple Enforcement Group Unit and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.
It is ironic that while two states have legalized marijuana and others have decriminalized it or reduced penalties for those who use, possess and sell it, Wisconsin residents charged with marijuana offenses still face jail time if convicted.
If you find yourself in this unfortunate predicament, your best course of action is to retain the services of an experienced Wisconsin criminal defense attorney who can challenge the legitimacy of the search warrants and the qualifications of the lab personnel, among other often successful defense tactics.
Source: Sawyer County Record, “Man arrested in Hayward ‘pot’ bust” No author given, May. 05, 2014
