Indoor marijuana growing operation located in Washington Township

A part of an alleged criminal enterprise involving the cultivating and cloning of marijuana plants was discovered in a Washington Township home Tuesday, following the execution of nine search warrants across southwest Ohio. 

According to Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward, detectives with the HCSO, U.S. 23 Major Crimes Task Force, the Centerville Police Department and the Germantown Police Department executed a search warrant on Sweeney Lane in Washington Township in Highland County Tuesday. The search warrant was the result of a nine-month-long investigation by several agencies, headed by the Moraine Police Department in Montgomery County into concerns a major growing operation was under way involving several different individuals across several counties. 

"It was a hydroponic setup with indoor grow lighting and temperature and climate control devices and basically a cloning room where they were cloning plants to make hybrid marijuana," Ward told The Highland County Press Tuesday. "They were doing this for criminal enterprise. There is no question. This operation was more elaborate than just for personal use. With the amount of equipment and the amount they had drying, there was a lot of time and effort that had gone into this operation." 

Upon execution of the search warrants, law enforcement found nearly 80 plants growing inside the residence, and approximately 10 pounds of marijuana drying, along with the growing setup. A number of items were seized as evidence, including marijuana, drug paraphernalia and items related to the cultivation of marijuana. 

Ward said that there was a "significant cost" that had to go into creating the setup that was discovered and that they believe the basement where the operation was located was built with the intention of housing the grow operation. 

"There's basically power plants that go into the electronic side of the operation," Ward said. "For the necessary lighting, it takes a significant amount of money and time. The house was built in 2007, and as part of our investigation, we're looking into how long it has been going on undetected. The basement was set up with the intention and built with the intention of a grow operation."

Approximately nine search warrants were executed Tuesday in a coordinated effort with the Moraine Police Department. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains open, with "likely" criminal charges resulting. 

"Highland County was just one spot in the organization," Ward said. "An outdoor grow operation was also found, I believe, in Montgomery County. There were nine search warrants in several different jurisdictions that were executed simultaneously in a coordinated effort with many different law enforcement agencies. It went off without any problems, and we're trying to work well with the other agencies to bring the bad guys' criminal activity to an end. This was a major operation."

Ward said that the case will likely be presented to a grand jury, although it has not yet been determined what county the case will be prosecuted in. 

"There are no immediate arrests, and we're working with the other jurisdictions on presentation to a grand jury," Ward said. "We're not sure where, but it's possible the case will be prosecuted in Dayton as a course of continuing criminal activity. Their prosecutor and our prosecutor (Anneka Collins) and law enforcement are in contact with each other. Once it's all brought together, it will be analyzed, and we'll determine the course of action for prosecution that is in everyone's best interest."