Growing operation discovered; arrest made
A Garland County man was arrested on multiple felony charges Monday after almost 12 pounds of marijuana, 10 guns and a suspected marijuana growing operation were allegedly found at his residence.
James Dean Ledbetter, 54, of 257 Arkridge Road, was taken into custody around 11:30 a.m. and charged with felony counts of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison, manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, both involving marijuana, punishable by up to 10 years, and a misdemeanor count of third-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Ledbetter remained in custody Tuesday on zero bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to a news release, on Monday, the Garland County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Operation Division, along with investigators and patrol deputies executed a warrant at the residence on Arkridge Road, located off the 2100 block of Carpenter Dam Road, searching for a suspected marijuana growing and processing facility.
Prior to the warrant service on the property, Ledbetter was arrested on the unrelated battery warrant at a local business, the release said.
Upon conducting a search of the property, deputies located a total of 11.75 pounds of suspected marijuana in various stages of processing, along with 10 firearms. Some of the marijuana was located in the bathroom, hanging in a shower, and some was located in a safe.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the battery warrant, Ledbetter’s wife filed a complaint on Sept. 27 alleging that on Sept. 22 her husband became angry with her and “slapped me across the face really hard,” knocking her to the floor.
She said her jaw was sore and she sustained a large bruise to the left side of her face. She said she called the sheriff’s department and deputies responded, but she was too afraid to file charges at that time.
“I believe my husband is on drugs and I am afraid of him due to his state of mind,” she said in the affidavit, noting she wanted a no-contact order issued against him and wanted to file a domestic battery charge.