Prison ordered for pot grower

A Rocky Ridge man was sentenced Wednesday to 2½ years in prison for growing marijuana at his home.

Jake Ruttschaw, 37, pleaded guilty May 1 in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court to one felony count of possession of drugs and one misdemeanor count of child endangering. He also was sentenced by Judge Bruce Winters to serve 180 days for the child endangering charge.

On Oct. 7, Ottawa County Drug Task Force agents raided the Ruttschaw home in the 1300 block of North Main Street. Agents seized 124 marijuana plants of varying sizes and 2,668 grams of processed marijuana, according to task force reports.

Agents obtained the search warrant for the home after a confidential informant working for the task force bought marijuana in Rocky Ridge from Austyn Underwood, 19, Rocky Ridge, according to Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office records.

The informant met Underwood, who told him to meet him behind a church, records show.

Meanwhile, Underwood stopped at the Ruttschaw home and met the informant a few minutes later, records show.

He then sold the informant marijuana, according to prosecutor’s office records. Agents believed Underwood got the drugs from the Ruttschaw home, task force officials said.

Underwood was charged in December with selling marijuana to the informant and having marijuana during the raid.

Ottawa County Assistant Prosecutor Joe Gerber and Defense Attorney Spiros P. Cocaves were not available for comment.