3 cited in drug raids on Court St.

By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 05/07/2008 08:19:23 AM PDT

A police raid last week resulted in the seizure of marijuana, cash, hallucinogens and at least 600 growing marijuana plants from two unrelated houses on Court Street, the Ukiah Police Department announced Tuesday.

At around 2:50 p.m. Thursday, officers served a search warrant on the home of Kenneth Donaghy, 29 at 161 Court St.

According to police reports, inside the house officers found two separate hydroponic marijuana grows containing a total of 100 adult plants. Officers also seized 22 pounds of processed marijuana, $19,600 in cash, 40 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and an unknown amount of LSD, according to police reports.

Later that day, at around 7 p.m., officers served a second warrant on 181 Court St., where they found a recently constructed, elaborate hydroponic grow room in the back yard, according to police reports.

Officers arrested Eric Hess, 33, and Heather Hess, 30, and seized 500 small "clone" plants as well as at least four pounds of marijuana, $4,300 in cash and an unknown amount of suspected LSD that had been soaked into sugar cubes, according to police reports.

Both houses were on the same side of the street, separated by a third home, but UPD Capt. Trent Taylor said police do not believe the two alleged grows were connected.

"I don't think they even know each other," he said.

Officers got warrants to search the houses based on a smell of marijuana in the area, neighbor complaints and electrical records.

"They both had high power usage," Taylor said.

He said Donaghy presented officers with a medical marijuana recommendation from his doctor. Eric and Heather Hess told officers they had medical marijuana recommendations but did not provide any evidence of them, Taylor said.

Ukiah's city clerk said Tuesday that the City Council has set medical marijuana limits within the city at 12 mature or 24 immature plants and eight ounces of dried marijuana.

Taylor said neither garden appeared new and that the grow at 161 Court St. appeared to have been recently harvested.

Donaghy was cited on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and maintaining a house for drug sales. Charges for the alleged possession of psilocybin and LSD are pending the outcome of lab tests.

Eric Hess was cited on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, maintaining a house for drug sales and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

Heather Hess was cited on suspicion of maintaining a house for drug sales.

All three suspects were released on a signed promise to appear in court, and the cases against them are being forwarded to the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.

Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacific.net.