DRUG BUST NABS DRUG COUNSELOR

Uniontown man also jailed on second-degree rape charge

PULLMAN -- In a drug bust with a twist, Whitman County sheriff's deputies
are now looking into a drug and alcohol abuse counseling business.

Following up on a report of child abuse last week, deputies uncovered a
large marijuana growing operation in the home of drug counselor Thomas
Eugene McDonald. They arrested him Friday on charges of rape and possession
of marijuana.

McDonald and his wife, Debbie McDonald, work together at Growth Inc., a
for-profit treatment facility that first opened its doors in Pullman about
a year ago. While Debbie McDonald is listed as the owner and lead
administrator, Thomas "Gene" McDonald is a board member and apparently the
office's sole counselor.

Deputies came across the marijuana growing operation while were
investigating a report of a sexual assault involving a 15-year-old girl who
had been living with the family. The McDonalds have a 4-year-old child.

When deputies visited the McDonald house in Uniontown, a small community
south of Pullman, they noted the smell of marijuana.

At that point they arrested Debbie McDonald and obtained her consent to
perform a limited search. Once in the house, deputies found a small amount
of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

They went back to the home early Saturday morning with a search warrant and
found much more marijuana in the basement.

"It was a pretty sophisticated marijuana growing operation," said Sheriff
Steve Tomson. Deputies discovered 54 marijuana plants and a number of grow
lamps.

In Whitman County Court on Tuesday, both McDonalds were charged with
manufacturing marijuana. In addition, Thomas McDonald was charged with
communication with a minor for immoral purposes, second-degree rape and
possession of drug paraphernalia.

Thomas McDonald remains in Whitman County jail with bail set at $25,000.
He's scheduled for a court appearance this afternoon.

Neither the McDonalds nor their attorney returned telephone messages on
Tuesday.

While continuing the investigation into the current charges, the sheriff's
department is also following up on a Pullman police investigation into the
drug counseling business.

Sgt. Jim Corcoran, spokesman for the police department, said he couldn't
comment further on the nature of that investigation. The police department
has forwarded its information to sheriff's deputies.

Sheriff Tomson said investigators are looking for those among McDonald's
clients who may have information about unusual activity at the business.

"We'd like to talk to them if they're willing to come forward," he said.

Among the paying clients that McDonald served were people referred by the
Whitman County probation office for screening or as part of a
rehabilitation plan.

Thomas McDonald is licensed by the state Department of Health as a chemical
dependency professional. The certification was issued in August of 1999 and
expires May 10, 2001. He was also a registered counselor, but that status
expired May 10 this year.

The state received three complaints against McDonald as a registered
counselor in 1989, 1995 and 1997. Those complaints were closed with no
disciplinary action taken, and information about them was not immediately
available Tuesday.

Growth Inc. is provisionally certified by the Department of Social and
Human Services' Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (DASA).

"Our first review of the program determined that they had a great deal of
paperwork deficiencies," said Ken Stark, spokesman for DASA. "That's why
they're still on provisional certification."