CARTHAGE — A Carthage woman has been charged in a marijuana growing case that Franklin County deputies discovered by chance on Feb. 5.

  Deputy Heidi Wilcox arrested Sholarn Jones, 36, on Tuesday on a warrant on charges of unlawful possession of a scheduled drug and cultivating marijuana, county Lt. Niles Yeaton said Thursday.

There is an arrest warrant for Vance Billings, 33, who also lives at 805 Carthage Road, he said.

Deputies were canvassing the area Feb. 5 after a report of a burglary where a rifle was stolen and knocked on the door of the Carthage Road residence, Yeaton said. No one was home but deputies smelled growing marijuana and got a warrant to search the residence.

They discovered a grow room outfitted with high energy lighting, fans and a carbon filtering device being used to grow 74 marijuana plants, each about 4 feet tall, Yeaton said Tuesday. They also seized some processed marijuana along with growing books and assorted drug paraphernalia, including digital scales and smoking devices, he said.

Jones was released from the Farmington jail on $3,000 unsecured bail. She is scheduled to appear at a Farmington court on March. 19.

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