Agents find 18 marijuana plants, arrest Florence man
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By Jackie Torok
Published: August 6, 2008
A Florence man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after narcotics investigators said they found 18 marijuana plants growing in his back yard, Florence County Sheriff’s Lt. Brett Camp said.
Tad Leran Atkinson, 34, of 2228 Waverly Woods Drive, is charged with first-offense manufacture and/or possession of other substances in Schedules I-III with intent to distribute, Florence County Detention Center booking reports show.
Florence County Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents, with assistance from the Army Air National Guard and Lake City Police department narcotics officers, found the plants, Camp said. Using the Army Air National Guard’s helicopters, agents spotted the plants in the suspect’s back yard and led fellow officers on the ground to the residence, where the plants were confiscated and the suspect was arrested.
At maturity, the combined yield of the plants would have amounted to $70,000, Camp said.
Additional arrests are expected, he said.
Atkinson was released from the jail in Effingham on Wednesday morning, but bond information wasn’t available.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( rochelle35 ) on August 08, 2008 at 5:16 pm
He worked at a hospital I work at in the pee dee area, how can anyone trust this man ever again in the nursing field? What he did is a real crime and should pay for it like the rest.He knew what he was doing.He is a grown man right? But he will problaly get off like the rest if he has money.
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Posted by ( rochelle35 ) on August 08, 2008 at 12:52 am
This man should be punished just like the rest. He is a Registered Nurse who I have worked with.He was stealing narcotics and growing weed and selling them.About time he was caught.Now come on does any one want a drug dealer taking care of their family member in a hospital,nursing home ect.???? I would not.
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Posted by ( CitizenRights ) on August 06, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I agree with DarkKnight, that this was a big waste of our tax dollars. They should be out trying to catch the drug dealer for meth, crack, or coke or like DarkKnight said rapist and other s. Most people that use weed do not use other drugs. There is bill a Congress that will decriminalize possession if passed. It is about time; all the lies about marijuana and its effects are told. Mr. Atkinson will be treated just like a meth, crack, or coke dealer, and if found guiltily he will lose his driver’s license for six months, can not vote, will not be able to own a gun, and not to meant any jail time and lost of job. Now, let me ask everyone. Is it in the best interest of society to punish marijuana use or possession in this way? It will cause Mr. Atkinson to cost the taxpayers the cost of court, housing for any jail time, and loss of taxes from higher income possibly before found guilty. Now, this is excessive punish for a crime for marijuana in this century. Now some will said that the county gets the fines, and that is what they want. Yes, the county does want the money from fines and seized property, because that is money from a different fund than the one for the jail.
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Posted by ( DarkKnight ) on August 06, 2008 at 3:12 pm
So not only did we waste our tax dollars on the officers involved, their gas usage, the cost of distruction of the plants, prosecution of this crime, but we also paid to have a military helicopter join in the fun. What a wonderful use of our tax dollars. Why not spend that money chasing rapist and killers… oh that’s right, you just want the fine from the guy, the same reason why we have 4 times the traffic officers than we do officers that go after real crime
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