COURIER: Arcadia man gets 4 years for growing marijuana | Crime

FINDLAY, OH (THE COURIER) - An Arcadia man was sentenced to four years in prison Monday for growing 341 marijuana plants on his property.

Jeff C. Rebarchek, 37, appeared in Hancock County Common Pleas Court and apologized for cultivating 81 pounds of the drug. The charge is a second-degree felony.

On July 19, 2011, METRICH drug unit investigators seized the plants at his home, 305 E. Fremont St. They estimated the street value of each plant to be $1,000.

At the time, METRICH officials said it was the county's largest marijuana plant seizure in recent history.

On Monday, Rebarchek told Judge Joseph Niemeyer he regrets the poor decision, and hopes his children will learn from his mistakes.

"I can't stress enough how apologetic I am to my family," he said.

Rebarchek has moved forward from his mistakes, said his attorney, Drew Mihalik. During the 11 months Rebarchek has spent on bond, he has passed a dozen drug tests.

Niemeyer said he does not understand why Rebarchek grew marijuana to "sustain your family on an illegal operation."

"I've been in the criminal justice system in one place or another since 1975. This is a lot of marijuana," the judge said.

In addition to the prison term, Niemeyer sentenced Rebarchek to a $7,500 mandatory fine and a two-year driver's license suspension.

Law enforcement seized $3,350 during the raid, which will go toward the fine.

This article provided by The Findlay Courier. For more from the Courier, visit http://www.thecourier.com.