Over 180 pot plants found in large-scale grow operation at Tennessee congressional candidate’s home

CROSSVILLE (WATE) – A Crossville congressional candidate said she’s guilty after a large-scale marijuana grow operation was busted last week, but says she’s also victim of a bad law.

Detectives raided Flo Matheson’s property Friday after “in-depth undercover investigations led to the discovery of an indoor grow operation,” according to a press release that says Crossville Police Department narcotics detectives worked with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, 13th Judicial Drug Task Force, the HIDTA/TBI Drug Task Force, and the Office of the District Attorney General to execute the search warrant at Matheson’s home.

Matheson said they broke through her gate and raided her home and a barn a few hundred yards behind it. That’s where they found more than 180 marijuana plants and grow equipment.

“I walked out of the barn and the next thing I know I’m looking down the barrel of an M16 and there’s like 15 or 20 guys just in full military regalia,” said Steve Harrington, who lives on Matheson’s property and was the one growing the pot. “I laid down on the ground. Next thing I know I’m in a squad car.”

Crossville police said this is the second grow operation they’ve found of his, and that he is currently serving three years of supervised probation.

Police called the site “an indoor marijuana cultivation operation,” and confiscated guns, cash and the pot. Matheson and Harrington said they also took a generator, weed eater, pressure washer, TVs, a computer, van and a four-wheeler, though, Harrington said aside from busting some light bulbs, they left all of his grow equipment that he would need to start up again.

“Some evidence of an illegal grow operation were found inside the residence, however, the full scale cultivation was found in [the] large barn,” said police. “The inside of the barn had been finished to create two separate tropical grow environments, with electrical service costing thousands of dollars annually to operate. Additionally, remote wireless surveillance equipment had been installed to monitor areas of the compound, including the locked gate at the driveway entrance.”

Harrington said the “surveillance equipment” was a fake camera he had put up because someone kept knocking Matheson’s mailbox down.

“I was very surprised,” said Matheson. “I had no idea that Mr. Harrington was growing it back here in the barn.”

Matheson said she’s very concerned and doesn’t want to go to jail, but she doesn’t feel like she or Harrington did anything wrong.

“I admit that I had illegal cannabis. That is not exaggerated, that’s true,” she said. “I’m willing to go forward and in effect put my head on the chopping block. I’m running for office because of how I feel about the people of Tennessee and the people of America.”

Matheson believes marijuana should be decriminalized. She hopes this will help her campaign for congress and said she’s gotten a lot of support so far.

Both Matheson and Harrington said they’re upset about what happened. They said the police vastly over-exaggerated the bust and what was going on in the barn.

“It looks bad – there’s a lot of plants in there, but you’re getting a little bit off of each plant,” said Harrington. He said he’s just a disabled veteran, trying to manage his pain naturally, and without drugs or opioids. “As far as I was concerned nothing that I did, not one leaflet, not one particle has left this property…It’s just for me.”

Harrington said he will grow marijuana again, but not on Matheson’s property. He said he feels badly and like he betrayed her trust.

Neither Matheson nor Harrington have been charged, though Crossville police said they are seeking criminal indictments.

Matheson is running in the Democratic primary for the 6th District congressional seat.

The state party sent out a statement saying it “does not condone illegal activity of any kind. We are confident the authorities will take the necessary steps and complete their investigation.”

WISH-TV’s sister station WATE reached out to the Crossville Police Department on Wednesday but did not hear back.