MARIJUANA PLANTS LEAD TO CHARGES

84-year-old man faces felony after officers find plants

Officers from the Rowan County Sheriff's Department charged a South Rowan
man Friday after finding nearly 40 marijuana plants on his property.

Emory Lee Butler, 84, 9100 Smith Road, Kannapolis, was charged with felony
possession with intent to sell and deliver a controlled substance,
maintaining a dwelling to keep, store, sell and manufacture a controlled
substance and felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver
marijuana.

Officials began investigating after an informant tipped off Sheriff George
Wilhelm last week.

After a week-long investigation, the National Guard assisted the Sheriff's
Department Friday by flying over the area looking for marijuana plants.

The sheriff, Capt. Dillon Broome, detectives and members of the drug
investigation unit spent about three hours searching the area before they
found 39 marijuana plants growing on Butler's property.

Wilhelm said the marijuana plants had been hidden so well among other bushes
and plants that officials had a difficult time finding them.

According to federal regulations, marijuana plants average two pounds and
are worth $2,400 each, Wilhelm said.

To charge Butler with trafficking counts, the marijuana would have to weigh
at least 10 pounds.

Wilhelm said the plants were small and he doubts they would weigh enough for
a trafficking charge. But they will send the plants to the State Bureau of
Investigation to be weighed.

Wilhelm said he believes Butler had harvested plants earlier this year. He
said they also found stalks of marijuana plants, but they can't file charges
for those.

Officials also found marijuana in Butler's old farm house and even some
drying in his oven.

Wilhelm said Butler lives alone.

Officials arrested Butler on Friday. He was given a $5,000 bond.

Wilhelm said Butler was arrested on similar charges more than a year ago.

Wilhelm attributes the bust partly to help from the informant. "That's what
we need is for people to call us with information," he said.