Mail Tribune News - Couple faces drug charges in GP

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2000-12-07

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Couple faces drug charges in GP By Mark Freeman GRANTS PASS � A Josephine County couple will be arraigned in court here Wednesday on felony drug charges stemming from a Friday raid on their rural ranch, where police seized some of the highest-quality marijuana they had seen locally in quite some time. Terry Wade Kovachy, 33, and Heather Gandy, 22, each will be arraigned Wednesday on charges of manufacturing, possession and delivery of marijuana as well as a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a minor, authorities said. The pair were arrested Friday when drug detectives served a search warrant at the 11-acre ranch they rent at 3613 Midway Avenue west of the Rogue Community College campus near Grants Pass, according to the Josephine Interagency Narcotics Team. During the search, JOINT detectives found the couple�s mother lode of marijuana growing in a hidden patch secluded by a grove of manzanita trees, a JOINT spokesperson said. Detectives seized 92 marijuana plants up to 15 feet tall, all sporting large buds that would yield high-quality drugs when harvested and dried, according to JOINT. Found hidden in nearby brush were 12 potted marijuana plants about 5 feet tall, and another 17 small plants under 3 inches tall in a shed adjacent the couple�s residence, according to JOINT. Also in the shed, police found some drying marijuana, police said. There was no monetary valued placed on the seizure as of Monday. After interviewing the suspects, police believed the marijuana was about two weeks away from harvest, JOINT said Monday. The couple�s toddler child was reportedly home when police arrived for the search, and the child was turned over to state authorities, according to JOINT. The suspects were lodged Friday at the Josephine County Jail, then released on their own recognizance Monday and told to appear for their arraignments Wednesday, jail officials said.     Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.