SC judge in jail after cops find his marijuana-growing operation, officials say

A Laurens County magistrate was arrested Tuesday after an investigation revealed he was part of an Upstate marijuana-growing operation, according to a S.C. Law Enforcement Division statement.

Mareno Cyrus Foggie, 38, was charged with manufacturing marijuana after SLED investigators found 20 to 30 marijuana plants in a facility he owned in Abbeville County, according to the statement.

Jonathan O’Neal Grant also was charged with manufacturing marijuana as part of the operation, according to the statement.

On June 22, the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office found evidence of the operation inside of a building in Donalds. Investigators discovered growing plants and a series of equipment typically used in that sort of operation.

Witnesses said Foggie had been visiting the building frequently and they said they’d seen his pickup truck there a few days ago.

Foggie told investigators in an interview he let Grant use the property. Witnesses said they had seen him carrying gas cans full of water around the property.

Foggie and Grant were arrested and taken to the Abbeville County Detention Center.

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 1:57 PM.