Otsego County Man Arrested for Marijuana Grow Operation

John Thomas Laing, 53, of Butternut Road, Unadilla was arrested today following a two and a half month investigation conducted by the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office and the Albany DEA District Office.

Assistance was also given by the DEA Northeast Aviation Resident Office, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Police Troop C.

On April 8th, Town of Butternuts Judge, Claudette Newman, signed a search warrant  for Laing’s residence and property. Yesterday morning, sheriff’s office deputies and investigators, DEA special agents, NYS parole officers, investigators from the Delaware sheriff's office, and state police executed the search warrant.

Inside of Laing’s residence the following items were said to be seized: over ten pounds of marijuana, 95 marijuana plants, 54 cloned marijuana plants, triple beam balance, approximately $10,000 in growing equipment, and $30,102 in U.S. currency.

Laing was arrested for criminal possession of marijuana in the first degree, a class C felony, and the unlawful growing of cannabis by an unlicensed person, a misdemeanor. He was arraigned in the Town of Butternuts Court and sent to the Otsego County Correctional Facility on $10,000 bail.

Officials say that Laing was previously arrested in 2004 when he was found to have a large indoor marijuana grow in the Town of Oneonta.

Laing will return to court on April 15th. If convicted he faces up to five and a half years in state prison. District Attorney John Muehl will prosecute the case.