The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

June 15, 2009

Monroe deputies find major pot ‘grow house’

Amelia A. Pridemore

Monroe County authorities say they have taken down a major marijuana “grow house,” seizing a stash worth more than $300,000 and arresting three people.

Steven Dunn, Norma Jean Dunn and Robert Dunn, all of Bozoo Road, Peterstown, are charged with cultivation and manufacture of marijuana, according to a release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. No ages were available for the suspects. All three were arrested Friday and released on a $10,000 bond set by Monroe County Magistrate Nancy Crews.

Deputies Mike Heller and Justin Redifer received a tip while doing work earlier with the U.S. Marshals Service, Sheriff Mike Gravely said. Afterward, they obtained a search warrant for four homes on Bozoo Road — one, Robert Dunn’s; the second and third, originally believed to be abandoned; and the fourth, Steven and Norma Jean Dunn’s. Robert Dunn is Steven Dunn’s son, but any relation Norma Jean Dunn has to the two male suspects is unknown.

Early Friday morning, deputies raided the four houses, according to both Gravely and the release. The elaborate grow was found inside the third house — which, from the outside, appeared to be uninhabited and in disrepair.

Both deputies and state Division of Natural Resources Officer Frank Basile discovered about $333,500 in marijuana plants, the release stated. The house contained rooms for starting seedlings, drying and processing the plants and a sealed climate-controlled room equipped to grow and sustain the marijuana plants to maturity.

“There were several thousand dollars in cultivating and processing equipment,” Gravely said. “This place had its own environment with air conditioning and heating. The lights were set on timers.”

One larger room had 63 large, fully mature plants, Gravely said. He did not know how long the grow house had been in operation, but some equipment appeared to be fairly new.

Gravely commended his deputies. He said Monroe County “has its share” of illegal drugs, just like any other county in the region, and his department works to combat them. The job is extremely difficult, though, because Monroe County only has four deputies. But those four, he said, work tirelessly.

“Maybe we won’t get you next week, but we are not going to give up until we get this eradicated and out of the county,” he said.

— E-mail:

apridemore@register-herald.com

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