Cameron man charged for marijuana operation

A rural Cameron resident has been charged following an investigation into a marijuana operation in DeKalb County.

54-year-old Steven G. Ensign was charged by DeKalb County prosecuting attorney Erik Tate with a Class B felony of attempt to produce a controlled substance, two counts of a Class C felony of possession of a controlled substance, and a Class B felony of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol executed a search warrant at 10271 SE State Route C on September 28. According to the probable cause statement, 13 marijuana plants, approximately 4 to 6 feet in height were seized. Ten of the marijuana plants were from an indoor marijuana grow room and the other three were from the west side of the barn at the residence. Approximately two pounds of processed marijuana was seized from the barn, which contained three rooms built for the manufacture of marijuana.

According to the statement, approximately two pounds of processed marijuana was seized from the residence, which was from the processing room. The residence also contained Butane cans and vapor E-cigarettes and THC oil as well as numerous zip lock baggies and drug paraphernalia.

The probable cause statement also included an entry that Ensign gave a written statement, post Miranda, admitting to growing the marijuana and he also admitted to keeping twenty pounds of marijuana at 9853 SE State Route C, which was also subject to a search warrant in conjunction with the other location. The twenty pounds of marijuana consisted of one brick weighing six pounds and the remainder divided into one-gallon zip lock baggies of one pound each.

Ensign was arrested by the state highway patrol and transported to the Daviess DeKalb Regional Jail.

The bond for Ensign was set at $75,000 cash only and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 7 in DeKalb County associate circuit court.