63 Marijuana Plants: Oakdale Man Sentenced

An Oakdale man was recently sentenced to jail time and give years of probation for his role in a marijuana-growing operation at his home, where authorities found 63 plants in two rooms.

Thaddeus Joel Leigh, 57, was found guilty after police used high-tech surveillance methods to monitor the home, at the 6200 block of 49th Street North.

In May 2012 the Washington County Narcotics Unit began investigating Leigh, and found the windows of his home were blocked out and power usage was much higher than that of neighboring houses, according to the criminal complaint.

Using infrared technology, deputies also noted that the home emitted an abnormal amount of heat loss compared to nearby houses.

Officials on June 13, 2012, executed a search warrant for the home and found drug paraphernalia, 63 plants in two rooms, fans, times and an irrigation system, the complaint says.