By Patricia Bogumil
Staff Writer
A 50-year-old auto body shop owner faces more than 40 years in prison and up to $60,000 in fines for allegedly running a marijuana grow operation.
John A. Olmstead, 2715 Robert St., Franksville, told police all the marijuana they found growing in his house, which is attached to Pro Auto Shop, was for his own personal consumption – except for some stuff he sells to a few friends.
But police consider that unlikely, given the scope of the operation.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Racine County Circuit Court:
Agents with the county’s Special Investigations Unit, assisted by a Sheriff’s Department investigator and Mount Pleasant police, executed a “knock and announce” search warrant at Olmstead’s house and auto shop around 10:30 a.m., Jan. 30.
They recovered more than 70 marijuana plants, ranging from seedlings to those several feet in height, and grow paraphernalia including numerous pipes, grow lights and baggies.
Olmstead told investigators that two men in the house at the time of the raid knew nothing about the operation. He said he sells the marijuana to a few friends, but mainly grows it just to smoke it himself.
Police noted that Olmstead has prior drug convictions, including having pled guilty/no contest to both a 1995 charge of possessing marijuana and a 1998 charge of maintaining a drug trafficking place.
Olmstead is now charged with felony offenses as a repeat drug offender for manufacturing or delivering marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and maintaining a drug trafficking place.
If convicted on all charges, Olmstead faces a maximum penalty of 40.5 years in prison; $60,000 in fines; or both.
Olmstead was due in Racine County Circuit Court Feb. 9 for an initial appearance, at which time the judge would determine if there was sufficient evidence to advance the case to trial.
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