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LEWISTOWN -- More charges have been filed against a Mifflin man for his involvement in a large-scale marijuana-growing operation in the Tuscarora State Forest.
Jeremy A. Leach, 35, was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jack E. Miller on Tuesday. He is being charged with felony manufacturing with intent to deliver a controlled substance, agricultural vandalism, theft by unlawful taking and summary offenses including scattering rubbish, taking possession of game or wildlife, setting traps without a permit, among other charges.
According to court documents, the investigation is stemming from an incident in 2015, when a wildlife conservation officer was tipped off about an area in Tuscarora State Forest, off Pine Ridge Road, Bratton Township, where there four gardens containing about 150 marijuana plants. Reportedly, each plant was four to five feet tall.
According to court documents, mature and young trees were cut and left lay. The ends and stumps were painted with black spray painted. Rocks and logs were used to form garden edges and Mountain Dew cans were found throughout the site.
A garden cart, hand tools and several blue water containers were found in the area. According to court documents, state police eradicated the grow site and left the scene. At that time, cameras were set up in the grow area, which photographed a man wearing military-style clothing.
According to court documents, on March 28, 2017, a fisherman stumbled upon what he described as seed beds along Licking Creek, Bratton Township. Also found were hand tools, potting soil and what he said looked to be an area where someone was planning to grow marijuana. Also in this area, court documents indicate that large trees were cut.
On April 1, two fisherman reported that several large trees were felled along Licking Creek, Bratton Township, in the same general area. Cameras were set up in this area to look for suspicious activity.
On April 20, wildlife conservation officers found that large trees were cleared at the Licking Creek Road site. Court documents indicate that three planting beds outlined with felled trees were found and contained several small clearings with chicken wire and stakes. Officers also found stumps and butts of logs were spray painted black, but no plants were in the beds. Officers found a trail camera on the site. The camera card showed images of the same man, on multiple occasions walking through the site with several closeups of his face. The man was wearing military-style clothing and resembled the images of the man taken at the 2015 grow site.
On June 6, officers installed cameras on the site and found what appeared to be an estimated 200 to 300 marijuana plants growing in the beds. According to court documents, chicken wire had been placed around the beds and small bells painted black were found attached to the chicken wire.
Officers reviewed the camera card and found images of a man in the garden beds, spraying the plants and tending to the fences. According to court documents, wildlife conservation officers ran the license plate of a vehicle that was observed entering a parking area near the grow site around the same time as the man was observed tending to the plants and Leach was identified.
A contracted herbicide sprayer contractor operating about a half-mile west of the grow location reported finding yet another similar grow location.
Days later, the contractor located a second grow, which consisted of three gardens, outlined with cut trees. According to court documents, chicken wire surrounded the gardens and vegetation was woven into the wire. A foot hold trap was found under a felled tree and a dead opossum was found near the trap.
Leach is facing related charges for a June 29 incident when law enforcement searched his home and found 60 live plants.
Also found in his home were related items such as scales, grow lights, climate control equipment, drug paraphernalia, chain saws and firearms. Officers also found the wing of a red phase screech owl, a protected bird, which was seized from the home, and a timber rattlesnake hide.
According to court documents, state foresters scaled the timber that was felled and determined nearly 215 trees, valued at nearly $5,000, were cut down.
A search of Leach's laptop and found images of the marijuana grows in the state forest in 2015 and 2017, as well as images from 2016 of a dead timber rattlesnake and rattle.
According to court documents, Leach did not have a permit to kill or possess a timber rattlesnake, nor a fur taker license.
Leach was being held in Mifflin County Correctional Facility on $75,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27.