Pubdate: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 Source: Salisbury Post (NC) Copyright: 2002 Post Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.salisburypost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/380 Author: Jillian McCartney MARIJUANA PLANTS LEAD TO CHARGES 84-year-old man faces felony after officers find plants Officers from the Rowan County Sheriff's Department charged a South Rowan man Friday after finding nearly 40 marijuana plants on his property. Emory Lee Butler, 84, 9100 Smith Road, Kannapolis, was charged with felony possession with intent to sell and deliver a controlled substance, maintaining a dwelling to keep, store, sell and manufacture a controlled substance and felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana. Officials began investigating after an informant tipped off Sheriff George Wilhelm last week. After a week-long investigation, the National Guard assisted the Sheriff's Department Friday by flying over the area looking for marijuana plants. The sheriff, Capt. Dillon Broome, detectives and members of the drug investigation unit spent about three hours searching the area before they found 39 marijuana plants growing on Butler's property. Wilhelm said the marijuana plants had been hidden so well among other bushes and plants that officials had a difficult time finding them. According to federal regulations, marijuana plants average two pounds and are worth $2,400 each, Wilhelm said. To charge Butler with trafficking counts, the marijuana would have to weigh at least 10 pounds. Wilhelm said the plants were small and he doubts they would weigh enough for a trafficking charge. But they will send the plants to the State Bureau of Investigation to be weighed. Wilhelm said he believes Butler had harvested plants earlier this year. He said they also found stalks of marijuana plants, but they can't file charges for those. Officials also found marijuana in Butler's old farm house and even some drying in his oven. Wilhelm said Butler lives alone. Officials arrested Butler on Friday. He was given a $5,000 bond. Wilhelm said Butler was arrested on similar charges more than a year ago. Wilhelm attributes the bust partly to help from the informant. "That's what we need is for people to call us with information," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh