TWO TALLMADGE MEN FACE CHARGES STEMMING FROM SUSPECTED MARIJUANA GROWING OPERATION

Two men are facing charges after police reported Dec. 18 that they discovered a suspected marijuana growing operation at their Martindale Drive residence.

According to records from Stow Municipal Court, Gregory M. Bowers, 57, and Michael S. Bowers, 24, are each charged with one count of third-degree felony illegal cultivation of marijuana. Police declined to comment as to whether the two are related.

A Tallmadge Police detective, who also is an officer with the Summit County Drug Unit, received an anonymous tip Dec. 11 about a possible marijuana growing operation at the residence, according to a search warrant for the residence.

The tipster alleged that Gregory M. Bowers bought about $1,000 worth of indoor growing equipment in August of this year.

The detective compared subpoenaed electric bills from the residence with two similar sized homes nearby. Since May of this year, the bills ranged from $648.12 to $1,115.11, which the detective concluded as "unusually high, which are consistent with indoor marijuana cultivation sites," according the search warrant.

The electricity bills for the two neighbors ranged from $67.11 to $141.59.

Around 10 p.m. Dec. 17, police searched the trash outside of the Bowers' residence and found two latex gloves that "smelled strongly of raw marijuana" and had a sticky substance with small leaves and "hairs" that police say come from marijuana plants and their buds. A leaf tested positive for marijuana, according to the search warrant.

Officers from the Summit County Drug Unit searched Bowers' property Dec. 18. A document listing the property seized during the search shows that six harvested marijuana plants, 16 LED growing lights and growing equipment were found in the basement.

Also found throughout the residence were packages of candy made with marijuana, a bag of marijuana buds and shake, marijuana, marijuana cigarette butts, paraphernalia used to smoke marijuana and 18 firearms -- rifles, pistols, revolvers and shotguns -- magazines, ammunition and knives.

Other property police seized during the search included gun parts, mushrooms growing in a glass jar, about $500 of cash, pamphlets on basic plant growing, cell phones, laptop computers, motorcycles and two other vehicles.

In the basement ceiling, police found another stash of cash in an unknown amount.

Police arrested the men the same day, and they were released from jail on $25,000 personal recognizance bonds after being arraigned in Stow Municipal Court Dec. 19.

Their cases were bound over to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas to be presented to a county grand jury for possible indictment.

Tallmadge police Lt. Ron Williams and Inspector Bill Holland of the Summit County Sheriff's Office declined to comment as the matter is part of an ongoing investigation.

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