Pot Plants Spotted In Friday Flyover

Marijuana plants growing on Martin Street were spotted during a flyover of the city last Friday as part of the seasonal marijuana eradication effort in Mississippi.

WATER VALLEY – Law enforcement officers seized 116 marijuana plants and arrested a Water Valley man last Friday as part of the seasonal marijuana eradication effort in Mississippi. Marco Gooch, age 51, was charged with one count of manufacturing marijuana after the plants at his Martin Street residence were spotted from the air.
Water Valley Police Chief Jason Mangrum reported his department was contacted by agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN) around 11:50 Friday morning. Mangrum reported that his officers initially did not have radio contact with the chopper crew. They searched around 15 minutes under the hovering chopper until the location of the plants was pinpointed in Gooch’s yard. The chopper’s presence sparked curiosity and even concern from residents in the area, who reached out on social media asking if a manhunt was underway.
The chief said the plants were behind the residence and were not visible to neighbors or from the road. Gooch was home and authorities reported he was cooperative and provided consent for officers to search inside his home where several rooms were set up in an indoor grow operation and more plants were discovered. Mangrum reported MBN agents seized and destroyed the plants. Growing equipment including grow lights were also confiscated.
Each year during the waning months of summer, the Mississippi National Guard provides pilots and helicopters to assist MBN in the search for marijuana across the state. The Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department also assisted MBN and the Water Valley Police Department during the two-hour investigation.

Gooch Shares His Story: “A Mistake I Made”
Gooch, a disabled military veteran, reached out to the Herald Tuesday to accept responsibility and share his story.
Gooch first explained that he understands that the law enforcement officers had a duty to perform.
“They did their job, I was wrong. They were very respectful,” Gooch said. “The police chief was very respectful. He told me what was going to happen and explained everything to me. All the officers were very good,” an emotional Gooch added.
He said the plants were for his personal use to help with chronic pain. He explained he served in the military from 1990 to 1997.
“I went to Iraq the first time and I saw a lot of stuff and was in a lot of stuff. I came back to the states and was stationed at Fort Bragg jumping out of airplanes. I saw people get killed jumping with me,” Gooch continued. “I still live with all that stuff everyday.”
He said he reached out to the VA for help, as he suffers with PTSD, with no success.
“I don’t sleep, I don’t eat. I decided to use marijuana to help with all of that. So I decided to try it, I said what do I have to lose,” he explained.
“A lot,” he continued,  “Because it is not legal in Mississippi. It is legal in other states, but I don’t live in any other state.  But you can only ask for help so many times. They tell you no, so you have to do what you think you can do to help yourself. Nobody else is,”Gooch added.
He also said that with the number of plants involved, he has heard accusations that he is a drug dealer.
“I have never sold drugs a day in my life. I have never taken anything other than my prescription medication,” he told the Herald. “People don’t know all I have done to help clean up in the community. “
He added that many of the plants inside his home were small cuttings from a larger plant that had not rooted yet.
“After watching ‘Growing Belushi’- on the Discovery Channel, watching him, I decided to try it,” he said, adding this was his first attempt to grow marijuana.
“That is what COVID does for you when you get stuck at home. You can’t sleep and you can’t do the things you normally do,” he continued.
“It is a mistake I made and I have to deal with it.”