A major marijuana growing operation in north Forsyth County came to a grinding halt Tuesday afternoon when it was raided by Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigators.

According to Sheriff Ted Paxton, investigators received a tip about possible drug activity at the home, which is located at 5220 Ridge Farms Drive.  
Sheriff Paxton said when investigators, accompanied by state probation officers, went to the location about 2:30 p.m. to execute a search warrant, they discovered a large marijuana farm being cultivated in the basement of the residence. 

Two persons at the residence, William D. Morrow, III, age 44, and Linda Bates Vaughan, age 40, were taken into custody.  They were charged with Manufacturing and Trafficking in Marijuana and Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act.  Both charges are felonies.

“This was the most sophisticated growing operation I have seen in my 30+ years in law enforcement,” said Lt. Col. Gene Moss.   Moss is commander of the Sheriff’s Office’s Enforcement Bureau.

According to Moss, the operation was so elaborate that an automatic watering system had been installed.  This would insure that all of the plans received an exact amount of water.  In addition, humidity, lighting and heat controls had been installed for the clandestine operation.  Also, reflective materials, designed to reflect light onto the marijuana plants, had been installed on the walls and ceilings of the rooms.  A vent from the basement into the garage had also been installed.

Sheriff Paxton said the street value of the marijuana, some of which was ready to harvest, would easily exceed one million dollars.

“Our narcotics investigators did an excellent job in following up on this tip and busting this operation,” Sheriff Paxton said.  “This should serve as a lesson to anyone who is considering growing drugs for a living.   Sooner or later we will get you,” he added.