Staff reports
An anonymous tip made to three different agencies Saturday has led to a major marijuana seizure worth nearly $150,000, several arrests and an investigation that was still continuing.
Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said a tip came in to his office and at the same time to the Tippah County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics about marijuana being grown near old Hwy. 15 (CR 115) at the Union-Tippah County Line.
The agencies were able to obtain the use of an MBN helicopter, which spotted several groups of plants from the air near the county line. Officers moved in and confiscated at least 178 plants, many of them seven feet tall. The seized plants were assigned an approximate street value of $142,000.
As officers were pulling up plants in Union County, two residents of the adjacent home arrived and were taken into custody.
Charged with manufacture of marijuana were Jefferson Graham, 56, of 1184 CR 115, Blue Mountain (which is actually inside Union County) and his son, Tyler Graham, 22, of the same address. Bond for each was set Wednesday at $15,000.
At least one other person was reported arrested by Tippah County officials after a search warrant was executed at a second home in Tippah County next to the largest group of plants. He was identified as Eddie Smith, of CR 713 in Tippah County.
Officers also seized seeds, buds, equipment and several weapons during the search.