Agents Find 16 Marijuana Plants
Michael Newsom
October 20, 2007
Sun Herald
ST. MARTIN — A homeowner was jailed Friday after narcotics agents in a helicopter spotted 16 marijuana plants growing in his backyard.
From above the home on Parker Road, agents saw the crop, which was partially hidden by a lattice fence. As the Jackson County Sheriff's Department helicopter hovered, the resident came out and began to douse the plants with what agents initially thought was water. It became apparent he was actually pouring gasoline and preparing to burn the pot before agents stormed his property.
But Curtis Spiers, commander of the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County, was on the ground. He was able to handcuff resident Vincent Feranda and put out the fire before all the evidence burned.
Agents found about 5 pounds of marijuana that had been harvested from the plants and Feranda was taken to the Jackson County jail on marijuana cultivation charges. Spiers said officers believe Feranda was growing the marijuana for his own consumption and did not charge him with intent to distribute.
"He said, 'I'm just an old pothead, dude. I don't grow it to sell it to anybody,'" Spiers said.
Spiers said the helicopter missions are a part of a sweep narcotics officers from several local agencies perform a couple of times each month to look for pot plants. He said that earlier on Friday, officers in the helicopter also spotted two marijuana plants behind an abandoned home off Tanner-Williams Road in northeast Jackson County. | 
