HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Southwest Regional Director R. Matthew Hough announced that charges recently were filed against two individuals for growing marijuana on State Game Land 117 in Smith Township, Washington County.
On June 7, Washington County Wildlife Conservation Officer Daniel Sitler and Deputy WCO James Lorch, while on routine patrol on SGL 117, encountered two individuals who were acting suspicious during the brief conversation.
“After this odd exchange, we decided to try and determine what they had been doing while visiting SGL 117,” Sitler said. “We back-tracked where they had been and soon discovered 21 marijuana plants planted in thick vegetation along a Game Commission food plot.”
Following this discovery, the officers used video surveillance technology to establish the connection between the suspected individuals and the marijuana plants.
“The Game Commission has a long history and tradition of passing down our investigative techniques from one generation of Wildlife Conservation Officers to the next through our training structure,” said Scott W. Tomlinson, Game Commission Southwest Region Law Enforcement Supervisor. “In recent years, we’ve been able to incorporate new technologies, such as the use of newly-developed surveillance equipment, to our list of tools used to solve these types of crimes.
“As similar sites have been known to be booby-trapped, this type of activity poses a safety threat to both the public that use our State Game Lands, and agency employees, such as Food and Cover Corps workers, who work there on a daily basis developing food plots and wildlife habitat.”
After consulting the Washington County District Attorney’s office and the Washington County Drug Task Force, WCO Sitler filed charges against Joshua M. Morrissey, 35, of Cuddy, and Robert N. Hoff, 32, of Cannonsburg. Arrest warrants were issued for these defendants charging them with felony counts under Title 35 (The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, Section 780-113 (a) 30) for the manufacture, delivery, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, and (Section 780-113 (a) 16) possession of a controlled substance.
Additionally, Sitler filed charges under Title 34 (Game and Wildlife Code) the unlawful planting of marijuana on State Game Lands.
All charges were filed before District Judge Gary Havelka, of Burgettstown.
Both Morrissey and Hoff were arraigned and lodged in the Washington County prison pending the posting of bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 29, on all charges.
