By Janice Gregorson
gregor@postbulletin.com
Drug charges have been filed against a 62-year-old Byron man after authorities seized nearly 150 marijuana plants found growing in pots and foam cups at the man's rural residence.
Bail has been set at $50,000 without conditions or $25,000 with conditions attached for John Wallace Doyle. He is charged with conspiring to commit first-degree controlled substance crime, first-degree attempted controlled substance crime and fifth-degree controlled substance crime.
Authorities said charges are expected to be filed against a woman and another man soon.
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Doyle was arrested Thursday during a search of his home at 4200 Olmsted County Road 150 S.W. by officers with the Southeast Narcotics Task Force.
The criminal complaint said that after deputies entered the residence, they saw marijuana on the coffee table, freshly picked marijuana on the couch and drug paraphernalia everywhere.
Officers said the odor of marijuana could be detected throughout the home.
Deputies said they found a marijuana-growing operation in the closet of a bedroom. In addition, several marijuana plants were growing in pots and foam cups on a deck.
In all, officers seized 147 plants.
Olmsted County Sheriff Deputy Vince Scheckel said that is considered a "fairly significant operation." He said each plant is capable of producing a pound of marijuana.
"That would be over 50 kilos of possible marijuana" from this growing operation, he said.
Several of the foam cups were marked, indicating the different plants and dates they were started, the complaint said.
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In another bedroom, officers found plastic gun cases containing used pipes and marijuana paraphernalia, three small bags of suspected marijuana, a container of marijuana seeds, a loaded .22 caliber rifle, two other rifle magazines, a scale and other items allegedly associated with marijuana growing and sales.
Doyle has posted bail and returns to court July 18.
