MADISON, Maine — More than 400 illegally grown marijuana plants and over 50 pounds of illegally processed marijuana were seized Monday from a home in Madison.
At about 10:50 a.m., the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Division executed a drug-related search warrant at a home on Foss Road in Madison as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal marijuana growing operations in the county, the sheriff's office said in a social media post.
The search warrant was obtained following a lengthy investigation into illegal marijuana cultivation activities at the home, according to the sheriff's office.
No one was found inside the home during the execution.
"During the search, 449 live mature marijuana plants, 52 pounds of processed marijuana, harvested marijuana plants, and illicit drug-related articles were located and seized," the post stated. "A dog at the residence was turned over to the Madison Animal Welfare Officials, as the dog was not properly cared for."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the search warrant. The Madison code enforcement officer also responded due to possible code violations, deputies said.
District attorney's offices from Somerset and Kennebec counties, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office and Maine Office of Cannabis Policy, assisted in the investigation.
According to deputies, this comes as the second search warrant that has been executed in the past four days in Madison concerning suspected illegal marijuana cultivation. In total, more than 1,900 live plants and over 60 pounds of processed marijuana have been seized.
The sheriff's office said once the individuals who are responsible for the illegal marijuana cultivation are located, they will be charged with Class B cultivation of marijuana and Class B trafficking in scheduled drugs (over 20 pounds of marijuana).
"Over the past month, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Division has executed six search warrants in the Towns of Cornville, Norridgewock, Mercer, and Madison, and arrested four people in total on suspected operation of illegal marijuana cultivation sites," the post stated.
As of Wednesday, the sheriff's office has seized more than 6,700 live marijuana plants and over 180 pounds of processed marijuana in total.