Deputies seize pot plants valued at $295,000

Mercer County Sheriff's deputies discovered 196 marijuana plants valued at nearly $295,000 in Blackcreek Township in the northwest part of the county during a recent helicopter search.

The discovery was made during annual eradication efforts assisted by a helicopter and pilot from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

Much of the county was covered during the effort with authorities finding suspicious plants in cornfields in the northern part of the township. The exact locations have not been released.

The mature plants are valued at about $1,500 each, making the haul worth about $294,000, Sheriff Jeff Grey said.

"It is difficult to find the person responsible in these cases," Grey said. "Many times they come and go when no one is around to question such activity. The growers are not likely to come forward and admit the marijuana belongs to them."

In 2013, a Mendon-area farmer discovered 64 marijuana plants in his cornfield off Hickernell Road and immediately notified authorities. The plants, ranging in height from 6 to 24 inches, were found early in the growing season and uprooted before reaching maturity. No other plants were located during a later August flyover.

Grey encourages people who find suspicious plants growing on their properties to contact the sheriff's office.

The confiscated marijuana plants have been booked into evidence and will be destroyed later.