Man's 'fascination' with marijuana went up in flames on Budd Street in Masury

By Ed Runyan

runyan@vindy.com

WARREN

On May 29, Todd L. Taylor, 29, saw the top part of the duplex where he lived on Budd Street in Masury go up in flames.

About 90 minutes later, when firefighters purportedly found 25 marijuana plants in Taylor’s basement, he had a different kind of problem.

Police were summoned to the home to carry out a criminal investigation, seizing the plants, some as high as 10 feet, grow lights, chemicals, fertilizers and other growing devices.

On Tuesday, Taylor was indicted on felony charges of illegal cultivation of marijuana and marijuana possession and misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

Taylor, who now lists an address on Laurel Street in Youngstown, will be arraigned in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday afternoon before Judge Ronald Rice.

If convicted, he could get more than 10 years in prison.

His indictment said the pot that was seized weighed 2,068 grams, which is about 4.5 pounds, and that the grow operation was in the vicinity of a school or a juvenile.

Taylor told an investigating officer that he grew the marijuana for personal use, that he put a lock on the basement door and he was the only one who went down there. He did the laundry to prevent his girlfriend from coming in contact with it.

Taylor said he is “fascinated” with growing marijuana and feels it should be legalized. He was charged with only a misdemeanor offense at that time and released on a summons until the pot could be dried and weighed and additional charges filed.

Also indicted was Frank B. Clark Jr., 34, of Watson-Marshall Road in McDonald, on felonious assault and domestic violence.

He’s accused of injuring his girlfriend early Aug. 23, having been convicted of at least two previous similar offenses. He was convicted of three 2014 assaults in Niles Municipal Court, the indictment says.

According to Weathersfield police, the woman said Clark opened the passenger door of her car as it was traveling on the exit ramp of Interstate 80 Westbound at Salt Springs Road and pushed her out, then got out and punched her in the face.

They continued in the car together with more fighting until they arrived at their home in McDonald, where neighbors called police. The woman had multiple lacerations and abrasions on both arms and her abdomen, her face was red, her mouth was bloody and she complained of pain in her legs and elsewhere.

Also indicted was Anthony J. Vaccaro, 26, of North Pleasant Avenue and Timber Court in Niles, on an aggravated robbery charge, accused of forcing a Niles man, 20, at gunpoint to go to an automated-teller machine and withdraw cash early June 22.

The incident began as the victim was coming home from work on Mason Street, Niles police said.