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Officers with the Scott County Sheriff's Department made a towering discovery inside an old storage shed within the Dungannon town limits Thursday afternoon.
One female suspect is now in custody, four children were removed from the home and are now in state custody, and 31 mature marijuana plants, averaging 5 to 7 feet in height, are now in the confines of an evidence room.
Doretta Ann Gibson, 26, of 186 Veterans Memorial Highway, Dungannon, was arrested following the execution of a search warrant on the property and was charged with one count each of possession with intent to manufacture and distribute marijuana, attempting to violate the Drug Control Act, conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, and maintaining a place of common nuisance.
Some of the plants, which have a street value of more than $1,000, were placed in 5-gallon buckets for easy transport, said Sheriff Jerry Broadwater.
"We are approaching the time of year when more (drug) searches are more frequent and they can come from any direction," said the sheriff.
"It seems like the pot growers have picked up on the idea of putting them in these buckets to get them in and out of areas fairly quickly. I guess these didn't get moved quick enough."
Following an anonymous tip to Broadwater's office and the Southwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force, a search warrant was requested and received, and the aerial arm of the Virginia State Police went into action.
The VSP Aviation Unit hovered above the suspect's property and discovered pathways in the weeds made by persons who had carried the plants from a nearby field to the storage building and other locations on the property.
Broadwater said officers came in on foot and searched the premises, finding the marijuana inside the shed along with a quarter-pound of dried marijuana inside the house.
"They told us before we went in that it was being used for tomato plants," the sheriff said.
Gibson shared the home with Wrightly Dewey "Bo" Dockery Jr., 43, who is currently being charged with the same counts as his girlfriend but will also have a charge of possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony added to that, according to Broadwater.
Neighbors of the couple, Kaye Dockery and Mike Grizzle, are being charged with obstruction of justice after allegedly trying to hide the children from officers and officials with the Scott County Department of Social Services during the time Gibson was arrested, according to information from the sheriff's office.
An official with the task force who asked not to be identified said a key to the investigation is Broadwater's willingness to pursue the case and suspects by using all resources necessary.
"We had deputies and other officers out here who came out on their day off to help with this. That's how committed the sheriff and the department are to getting these dealers and hitting them where they hurt," said the task force officer.
A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of Wrightly Dockery. That information can be submitted to the Scott County Sheriff's Department Criminal Investigation Unit by calling (276)386-1351 or by calling Scott County Central Dispatch at (276)386-9111.
Gibson was being held in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Facility in Duffield and must post a $10,000 secured bond to be released.
Newshawk: SX420 - 420 Magazine
Source: Times News
Author: KEVIN CASTLE
Copyright: 2006 - Kingsport Publishing Corporation
Contact: kcastle@timesnews.net
Website: Tri-Cities, Tennessee Personal News and Media Center
One female suspect is now in custody, four children were removed from the home and are now in state custody, and 31 mature marijuana plants, averaging 5 to 7 feet in height, are now in the confines of an evidence room.
Doretta Ann Gibson, 26, of 186 Veterans Memorial Highway, Dungannon, was arrested following the execution of a search warrant on the property and was charged with one count each of possession with intent to manufacture and distribute marijuana, attempting to violate the Drug Control Act, conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, and maintaining a place of common nuisance.
Some of the plants, which have a street value of more than $1,000, were placed in 5-gallon buckets for easy transport, said Sheriff Jerry Broadwater.
"We are approaching the time of year when more (drug) searches are more frequent and they can come from any direction," said the sheriff.
"It seems like the pot growers have picked up on the idea of putting them in these buckets to get them in and out of areas fairly quickly. I guess these didn't get moved quick enough."
Following an anonymous tip to Broadwater's office and the Southwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force, a search warrant was requested and received, and the aerial arm of the Virginia State Police went into action.
The VSP Aviation Unit hovered above the suspect's property and discovered pathways in the weeds made by persons who had carried the plants from a nearby field to the storage building and other locations on the property.
Broadwater said officers came in on foot and searched the premises, finding the marijuana inside the shed along with a quarter-pound of dried marijuana inside the house.
"They told us before we went in that it was being used for tomato plants," the sheriff said.
Gibson shared the home with Wrightly Dewey "Bo" Dockery Jr., 43, who is currently being charged with the same counts as his girlfriend but will also have a charge of possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony added to that, according to Broadwater.
Neighbors of the couple, Kaye Dockery and Mike Grizzle, are being charged with obstruction of justice after allegedly trying to hide the children from officers and officials with the Scott County Department of Social Services during the time Gibson was arrested, according to information from the sheriff's office.
An official with the task force who asked not to be identified said a key to the investigation is Broadwater's willingness to pursue the case and suspects by using all resources necessary.
"We had deputies and other officers out here who came out on their day off to help with this. That's how committed the sheriff and the department are to getting these dealers and hitting them where they hurt," said the task force officer.
A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of Wrightly Dockery. That information can be submitted to the Scott County Sheriff's Department Criminal Investigation Unit by calling (276)386-1351 or by calling Scott County Central Dispatch at (276)386-9111.
Gibson was being held in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Facility in Duffield and must post a $10,000 secured bond to be released.
Newshawk: SX420 - 420 Magazine
Source: Times News
Author: KEVIN CASTLE
Copyright: 2006 - Kingsport Publishing Corporation
Contact: kcastle@timesnews.net
Website: Tri-Cities, Tennessee Personal News and Media Center
