W’burg police confiscate 33 marijuana plants, cite three people for cultivation

In less than 24 hours this past weekend, Williamsburg police seized 33 marijuana plants and arrested three people and cited another for marijuana cultivation.

Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird said that the two busts were unconnected.

About 5:41 p.m. Sunday, Williamsburg Police Capt. Eddie Cain and Officer Brandon White received information about possible drug activity at 102 Woodlawn Avenue, which is the residence of James E. Campbell Jr. and Mitzi L. Ramsden, according to arrest citations.

When police arrived at the residence, they questioned the couple and received permission to search the property, White wrote on arrest citations.

"Ramsden and Campbell both admitted to the officers that they were experimenting with the growing of marijuana and led officers to the back yard where officers recovered 27 marijuana plants growing inside a five gallon bucket," Bird said in a release.

Inside the residence in an "office" police recovered marijuana, seeds, scales, plastic baggies and rolling papers, White wrote on arrest citations.

White charged Ramsden, 54, and Campbell, 50, with cultivating marijuana five plants or more and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Each pled not guilty during their arraignments Monday afternoon before District Judge Fred White.

White scheduled Aug. 12 preliminary hearings in their cases, appointed the public advocate’s office to represent each defendant and set $7,500 surety bonds in their cases.

Williamsburg police recovered six additional marijuana plants while investigating an unrelated drug complaint several hours earlier.

On Saturday, Williamsburg police received information about suspected drug activity at 98 Old Corbin Pike.

About 11:56 p.m., police stopped a vehicle leaving the residence, which was occupied by Timothy Kersey, who resides at 98 Old Corbin Pike, Bird said in a release.

After speaking with Kersey, police received consent to search his residence and discovered two five gallon buckets. One bucket was on the back porch and the other bucket was in the back yard.

The two buckets contained a total of six marijuana plants.

About 1:15 a.m. Sunday, White charged Timothy Kersey, 34, with cultivating marijuana five plants or more.

Police also cited Leslie Kersey, his wife, for cultivation of marijuana five plants or more.

Timothy Kersey was released from jail on a $7,500 surety bond.

Bird said that the couple are apparently animal lovers with several animals and rather than find someone in the middle of the night to take care of the animals, authorities decided to just cite Leslie Kersey rather than arrest her.

White is leading the investigation and was assisted at the scene by Sgt. Mike Taylor, K-9 Officer Jason Strunk and Officer Elijah Hunter.

Bird noted that the plants in both of these cases were very small and a long way from full maturity when the plants would have been worth more than $1,000 each.

Bird said that the individuals were probably experimenting with the plants for personal use but he noted that the law doesn’t allow this.