Crane fire, MJ grow result in indictments

Van Wert independent/Sheriff’s Department information

Indictments were handed down Friday on two cases being investigated by the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff Stan D. Owens said Friday that the September session of Van Wert County Grand Jury returned secret indictments related to marijuana cultivation and a fire that destroyed a crane being used to construct wind turbines in the county.

The sheriff advised that, on July 3, a fire heavily damaged a crane at a construction site of Blattner Energy. The location of the crane fire was near John Yoh and Mohr roads in Hoaglin Township.

Deputies responded to the fire report and found that someone had started the crane and used the crane to damage some high intensity light equipment. The fire was determined to be of unknown origin, according to an investigation conducted by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which was also called to the scene.

Repair cost to the crane has been estimated to be in excess of $300,000. An investigation by sheriff’s detectives resulted in indictments being returned by the Van Wert County Grand Jury, although Sheriff Owens advised that the names of suspects would not be released at this time, due to the suspects not being served with a copy of the indictments at the time of the release.

Indicted were three male adults on felony charges of breaking and entering, vandalism, and arson.

Indictments were also returned as a result of a marijuana grow operation in Willshire Township. On August 23, the Sheriff’s Department received a tip from a concerned citizen that marijuana was growing near a barn on Hartsock Road in Willshire Township. Investigation into the report resulted in deputies and detectives seizing 31 plants with a street value of $31,000.

The sheriff advised that members of the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force were called in and assisted in testing and weighing the seized marijuana. The Sheriff’s Department is a member of the task force. At the time of this news release indictments had not been served; therefore, the sheriff did not release the names of those indicted. Four adults have been indicted for cultivating marijuana, a felony of the second degree.

On July 6, the deputies took a breaking and entering/theft report from the Ohio Electric Polishing Company, which is located in Venedocia in Jennings Township. Stolen from the business were various tools, spools of wire, stereo speakers from a pickup truck, and a salamander heater, along with some cash.

Investigation by detectives produced suspects that have been indicted by the Grand Jury. Because they had not been served at the time the news released was sent out, the names of the suspects were not released. In that incident, four people were indicted on charges of breaking and entering, a felony of the fifth degree.