JAMAICA, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa mayor and her husband have been arrested after sheriff’s deputies say they found a marijuana growing operation in the couple’s basement.
The Des Moines Register reports that 50-year-old Jamaica Mayor LaDonna Kennedy and her husband, 58-year-old Randy Kennedy, were arrested Wednesday night and charged with manufacture with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and two counts of failure to affix a drug stamp.
Guthrie County Sheriff’s officials say deputies went on a tip to the mayor’s house looking for an attempted murder suspect. The suspect wasn’t found, but deputies called for a search warrant after they smelled an “overwhelming odor of raw marijuana” coming from the home. Investigators say 18 marijuana plants, several bags of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found.
The Kennedys were released Thursday on their own recognizance. A person who answered the phone at their home said they weren’t available and declined to comment on the charges.
