MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT DETECTIVES SERVE SEARCH WARRANT ON ILLEGAL GROW OPERATION

 Deschutes Co. Sheriff's Office

On the morning of September 24, 2020, Marijuana Enforcement Detectives with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), DCSO Street Crimes Detectives and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team, served a search warrant in the 25000 Block of Cultus Lane in relation to an ongoing criminal investigation into an illegal marijuana operation.  The investigation was initiated after detectives received anonymous complaints about the odor and validity of the grow operation.

Joshua Mays was contacted at the residence and taken into custody.  He was subsequently transported to and lodged in the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Jail on the listed charges.

The Marijuana Enforcement Detectives (MED’s) would like to thank the legal marijuana businesses within Deschutes County for their collaborative efforts in combating illegal marijuana operations. The knowledge the MED’s received from focus groups confirms that illegal marijuana within Deschutes County is a major concern for the legal marijuana market, residents, and businesses in our community.  MED’s take illegal grow operations seriously due to the unregulated amounts of pesticides, fungicides and chemical solvents that can be used to manufacture marijuana products.  In addition, MED’s have discovered illegal marijuana grows that contained mold, spider mites and toxic/harmful chemicals that are unsafe for human consumption.

The MED’s receive funding to support their positions from taxes that are collected from the recreational marijuana market. Marijuana tax can be used for schools, drug treatment centers, public health, and law enforcement. The Deschutes County Board of Commissions approved the funding for the Marijuana Enforcement Detective positions.

Since July 2018, MED’s have been in operation and have encountered multiple unknown subjects and 46 firearms while serving marijuana search warrants. The MED’s would like to recognize the DCSO SWAT team for their specialized skills and commitment for the safety to the suspects, area residences and law enforcement officers in these operations.

This investigation is ongoing.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Street Crimes, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with six K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

Location:  25000 block of Cultus Lane, Bend (Alfalfa)

Arrested:  Joshua Mays Age: 45          Bend, Oregon

Charges:

ORS 475B.349(3)(b)(A) Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana Over 12 plants

ORS 475B.337(3)(c)(A) Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 16x at household

ORS 475B.346(3)(b)(A)(i) Unlawful Delivery of Marijuana 16x person allowance

ORS 475B.349(3)(c)Unlawful Manufacture of Extract

ORS 475.884 Unlawful Possession of Cocaine

ORS 166.270 Felon in Possession of a Firearm X 2

Evidence Seized:

• 439 illegal marijuana plants seized
• 505 pounds of illegal processed marijuana
• 1 Butane Hash Oil (BHO) Lab
• 19 pounds of BHO extract
• 2 handguns
• Over $11,000 US currency