Woman charged in drug operation
Nancy Schwaiger
Canonsburg police confiscated processed marijuana and grow lights with fans while serving a search warrant Friday morning at a Chestnut Street home.
A Canonsburg police officer with a keen sense of smell discovered an apparent marijuana-growing operation in the borough’s West End after smelling a strong odor of what was determined to be raw marijuana coming from a home in the neighborhood.
Police served a search warrant about 9 a.m. Friday and said it marked the second time borough officers have found marijuana being grown in the basement of 69-year-old Nancy Schwaiger’s home at 27 Chestnut St.
Chief Al Coghill, who was a detective at the time, charged her with possession of marijuana after finding plants in the basement of her home in June 2010.
Coghill said Officer Anthony Cancilla was on patrol in the area of North Jefferson Avenue and Chestnut when he smelled what he believed was raw marijuana.
“He got out of his car to investigate and called fellow officers,” Coghill said.
Sgt. Donald Cross and Officer Matthew Tharp responded.
“They determined it was coming from a house,” Coghill said. “When (an exhaust) vent to the outside opened, they could really smell it.”
The officers later noticed that garbage had been put out on the curb for pickup. Inside the bag, they found fresh clippings that indicated a grow operation, Coghill said. Also in the bag were records connecting the refuse to Schwaiger’s house.
Police obtained a search warrant for the house from District Judge David Mark. Coghill said police found a sophisticated growing operation in the basement with custom exhaust vents, fans, grow lamps, soil nutrients and humidity and temperature gauges. Also found were what the chief described as about 25 top-quality plants in various stages of growth.
“They were small and bushy with a lot of buds,” Coghill said. “You have to have some expertise to grow that type of plants. She had a real green thumb.”
Police said they also found a large amount of cultivated marijuana. Coghill said there were 15 to 20 gallon glass jars filled with marijuana. Paraphernalia including pipes, bongs and grinders also was found in the residence.
Schwaiger allegedly told police when they entered her home, “I know you are here for the weed,” and admitted that she had just trimmed a plant.
“This was really good police work,” said Mayor David Rhome. “They made the extra effort.”
Police are continuing their investigation in an effort to determine if she was selling the marijuana, because the amount found at her home was far more than what would be for personal use, the chief said.
Schwaiger entered a guilty plea on the 2010 charges and was placed in the Probation Without Verdict program for 23 months. Her record has since been expunged.
Schwaiger was arraigned Friday before Mark on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver or manufacture marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and distributing a small amount of marijuana. She was placed in Washington County Jail on $25,000 bond. Schwaiger will have a preliminary hearing before Mark on April 19.