On February 28, 2023, just after 1:00 p.m., Linn County Deputies served a search warrant in the 1300 block of West 1st Street in Halsey related to an ongoing illegal marijuana operation.
Late in 2022, deputies began to observe suspicious activity at the location and conducted extra patrol in the area. During those patrols, they performed a traffic stop of a vehicle leaving the location and discovered twenty-six pounds of marijuana in the vehicle. Deputies continued investigating the suspicious activity to confirm the location was associated with the unlawful manufacturing of marijuana.
In February 2023, deputies obtained enough information to obtain a search warrant for the Halsey location and an additional address in the 1000 block of Nona Avenue in Salem. Deputies requested assistance from the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement (LINE) Team to serve the search warrant in Salem while deputies served the search warrant in Halsey. Between the two locations, deputies seized over 500 marijuana plants, over 40 pounds of processed marijuana, over 2,100 grams of marijuana extracts and other evidence relating to the illegal operation.
James Weatherly, 63, of Salem, was arrested during the search warrant in Salem and lodged at the Linn County Jail for Unlawful Manufacturing of Marijuana Item – Plants, Unlawful Attempted Delivery of Marijuana – Plants, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana Item – Plants, Unlawful Manufacturing of Marijuana Item – Usable Marijuana, Unlawful Attempted Delivery of Marijuana Item – Usable Marijuana, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana Item – Usable Marijuana, Unlawful Attempted Delivery of Marijuana Item – Extract, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana Item – Extract, and Criminal Conspiracy.