Springhill Police seize marijuana plants, arrest growers

By Bonnie Culverhouse

Springhill Police have arrested a father-son marijuana team and seized a large amount of plants.

Ray Buck New, 74, of the 200 block of Jones Rd., Sarepta, and Jamie Ray New, 47, of the 300 block of Old Sarepta Church Rd., Sarepta, were arrested for manufacturing marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and illegal possession of firearms with controlled dangerous substances.

According to the police report, Judge Michael Craig signed a search warrant for property on the 200 block of Jones Rd., Sarepta Monday afternoon, and Springhill Narcotics Task Force executed it Wednesday morning.

“During the execution, 137 individual potted plants of marijuana were found and seized,” the report reads. “There were 35 firearms on the property that were seized both inside the primary residence and inside the building located on the property where the marijuana manufacturing site was located.”

More than $16,000 in various denominations was also located.

Ray Buck reportedly owns the property and told officers he rents the building to his son, who arrived on the scene during the search.

Both men were taken into custody and transported to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.