August 20, 2022 11:30 a.m.
In the past month, the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team has seized substantial quantities of methamphetamine and heroin, and served several search warrants on illegal marijuana growing operations operating in the county.
A DINT release from Sergeant Nick Hansen provides a long list of the specifics. That has included finding controlled substances in Oakland, thousands of marijuana plants in Azalea, meth and heroin in Canyonville, over 1,700 pot plants along with firearms near Myrtle Creek, meth in Roseburg, over 6,000 marijuana plants between two locations in Riddle, hundreds of marijuana plants and a large quantity of processed marijuana in Glendale and meth in Winston. Multiple people have been arrested and detectives have determined that there has been the illegal use of water to maintain multiple grow sites.
In the most recent cases, on Wednesday DINT detectives served a search warrant in the 31000 block of Cow Creek Road in the Glendale area. Over 300 very large illegal marijuana plants, 825 pounds of processed marijuana and an illegal marijuana concentrate extraction lab were located. Hansen said the search warrant also revealed a large-scale operation with other illegal marijuana grows occurring in both Douglas and Josephine counties. A second search warrant was served at a different Glendale area location where over 100 large marijuana plants were seized. The Josephine County Marijuana Enforcement Team was contacted by DINT due to evidence found. JMET served a search warrant and found over 3,000 marijuana plants plus multiple firearms, silver and cash. 69-year old Robert Jones and 63-year old Robin Prinzing were jailed for unlawful manufacture, delivery and possession of marijuana along with money laundering. Additional arrests are anticipated in this investigation.
On Thursday, DINT contacted 49-year old Lori Johnson and a 62-year old woman on South Main Street in Winston. K9 Trapper was deployed on the vehicle and gave a positive alert to the presence of controlled substances. A search of the vehicle allegedly revealed 11 ounces of meth. Johnson was charged with attempted unlawful delivery and unlawful possession of meth and for an outstanding warrant. She is held without bail. The second woman was held for DUII.
Hansen said this year Douglas County Commissioners committed a substantial number of resources to DINT to combat the large-scale marijuana operations occurring in the county. Hansen said these operations direct marijuana outside the state, put a substantial strain on the county’s water resources and damage the lands and water ways in the local area. The release said the additional resources has resulted in a substantial increase in DINT’s effectiveness in reducing illegal narcotics in the community.