A southeast Iowa man will spend five years in a federal prison for growing and selling pot. Prosecutors say 45-year-old Richard Westmoreland Mathias of Mount Pleasant grew marijuana and sold it out of his home.
Authorities conducted a search of his home in May of 2011. Officials say they found 277 marijuana plants in the backyard, plus “plant food and watering devices.” At the time of his arrest, authorities described the operation as a “sophisticated set-up” to grow marijuana, complete with growth records for the plants, packaging materials and scales.