ELLSWORTH (AP) – Drug agents who found a booby-trapped marijuana patch in Hancock County arrested a 52-year-old man on a charge of aggravated cultivation of the drug.
Jan Michael Ryan of Franklin posted bail and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Ellsworth District Court on Dec. 6, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency said Monday.
Agents found the rigged pot patch when they were searching for marijuana plants from the air in Hancock County on Friday, MDEA Commander Darrell Crandall said.
Agents moving in to seize the plants near a stream in Franklin encountered booby traps that included sharp objects and trip wires. A state police bomb squad found that the trip wires were not connected to explosives, but were intended to make people fall on sharp objects sticking out of the ground.
Crandall did not describe the objects, citing safety concerns.
Agents seized 47 mature marijuana plants and got a search warrant to enter a nearby cabin, where they found drying marijuana, processed marijuana and several firearms. Ryan returned to his cabin during the search and was arrested.
The offense is elevated to aggravated because firearms were seized, Crandall said.
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