Marijuana Seized At Teacher’s Residence

By Stephen Thompson, Tampa Tribune, Fla.

Jul. 25–ST. PETERSBURG — A Largo High School teacher was arrested Tuesday on allegations he was growing marijuana in his home.

Richard Montgomery Smith, 33, was charged with manufacture of marijuana. He was released from the Pinellas County Jail after posting $5,000 bail, jail records show.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda said investigators got a tip Smith was growing marijuana at his home, at 5306 46th Ave. N. Smith allowed deputies inside the house, where they found a bedroom devoted to growing the drug.

Investigators say they found five full-grown marijuana plants in the bedroom closet, 11 marijuana seedlings in the bedroom and harvested marijuana in an overhead closet in a computer room.

Smith was growing the marijuana for his own use, Barreda said.

Pinellas County school district spokeswoman Andrea Zahn said Smith, who teaches Spanish, has been a full-time teacher since January 2004, earning about $37,000 a year.

Like all teachers in Pinellas County, Smith is on a 10-month contract, so technically he’s not now working for the school system, Zahn said. However, the district’s Office of Professional Standards has started an internal investigation into the allegations, and Smith probably will be placed on administrative leave at the beginning of the school year.

—–

To see more of the Tampa Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tampatrib.com.

Copyright (c) 2007, Tampa Tribune, Fla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.