Tiverton man gets no jail time for growing 506 pot plants

TIVERTON — A 57-year-old Tiverton man, arrested last year for growing 506 marijuana plants at two addresses he maintained in town, was handed his punishment last Thursday in federal court.

Following a guilty plea by the accused to manufacturing, and conspiracy to manufacture, marijuana, U.S. District Court John McConnell sentenced Billie R. Schoefield to three years of supervised release, and fined him $30,000, Tiverton Police Captain Patrick Jones said Monday.

Mr. Schoefield had been charged last April with raising 397 marijuana plants at 300 Riverside Drive and 109 plants at Wampanoag Lane, both in Tiverton.

Captain Jones said that beside the plants, police found marijuana-growing equipment and a briefcase used for sales purposes at the Riverside Drive address, and cash and documents related to selling at the Wampanoag address.

Captain Jones said that a marijuana smell in the area near the Riverside Drive address first attracted police interest to the residence.