Drug task force eradicates 200 pot plants growing in county

FREMONT - Following a tip and two separate drug investigations, agents from the Sandusky County Drug Task Force confiscated 200 marijuana plants growing in farm fields in the county.

Stephan Wagner, 68, was charged with felony trafficking after task force agents found 150 plants at his home on County Road 182 in Rice Township.

Mark Apple, commander of the Sandusky County Drug Task Force, said marijuana plants were growing across the 40-acre parcel of land and that agents executed a search warrant at 6:10 p.m. Monday.

Bags containing a total of 20 pounds of marijuana were found, along with marijuana cultivation equipment including lights, transformers, drying racks, potting soil, fertilizer and other drug paraphernalia, Apple said in a news release.

Agents from the task also recovered a Savage Over/Under Shotgun that led to Wagner being charged with having weapons while on parole. 

During a separate marijuana eradication search on July 24, task force agents using the Sandusky County Sheriff's Office drone located and confiscated 25 marijuana plants growing in a cornfield in Scott Township, the release said.

No charges have been filed in that case.

The searches were a joint effort of federal grants to support marijuana eradication.