Man’s 121 pot plants confiscated

STAFF REPORT

BAZETTA — Gerould Douce had so much marijuana in his condominium that he had to string it over his bed to dry, authorities say, but he had a generous heart.

Douce, 41, of Ivy Hill Circle, a condo community off Elm Road, was charged Wednesday in Trumbull County Central Court with cultivating marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He was released from the Trumbull County Jail after posting a $25,000 bond. Judge Thomas Campbell tentatively scheduled a preliminary hearing for Wednesday.

Sgt. Jeff Orr, commander of the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force, said his unit, along with Bazetta police, confiscated 121 plants which, if they were mature, would have been worth $1,000 each.

Orr said police received an anonymous tip that marijuana was being grown in the condo. The plants and a complete growing system were found in two of the three bedrooms. They were vented into an attic.

The marijuana was hanging from a clothesline over his bed to dry. Also found were scales and small plastic bags to sell the drug, said Orr, noting that Douce had no job. Receipts in his home showed that Douce contributed to charities, including the Warren Family Mission.

Orr explained that Douce opened the front door while holding a .375-caliber handgun that he dropped once he recognized the police.