Hotaling
State troopers discovered this week that town of Sharon in Schoharie County, famous for being home to the Fabulous Beekman Boys, was also allegedly home to a giant pot growing operation. On Monday, State Police reportedly discovered 50 large pot plants in a building on Rte. 20 in the town of Carlisle.They also found 21 pounds of processed weed.
Three men were arrested in connection with the grow house: 49-year-old Willard Hotaling of Schoharie, 52-year-old Charles J. Smith of Carlisle, and 30-year-old Jeffrey D. Bender of Wright.
Here's the full press release from the State Police out of Cobleskill:
State Police in Cobleskill developed information that marihuana was being harvested and processed in the Town of Sharon, Schoharie County. Following two weeks of surveillance, troopers executed a search warrant Monday afternoon, October 4, 2010, on a building on State Route 20 in Carlisle, upon the arrival of two individuals.
SmithInside, they discovered a large amount of marihuana as well as extensive processing rooms for marihuana plants.
Arrested for Criminal Possession of Marihuana 1st Degree and Unlawfully Growing of Marihuana are the following two Schoharie residents:
WILLARD HOTALING, 49, Deer Lane, Schoharie, and
CHARLES J. SMITH, 52, Route 20, Carlisle.
Troopers seized fifty large marihuana plants and twenty pounds of marihuana. Furthermore, surveillance led troopers to the residence of JEFFREY D. BENDER, State Route 443, in the Town of Wright, where they discovered another two pounds of marihuana.
BenderBENDER, age 30, was charged with possession of marihuana.
Hotaling, Smith, and Bender, were arraigned in the Town of Carlisle court and remanded to the Schoharie County jail in lieu of $10,000 case/$20,000 bond.
