Butler County father and teen son accused of growing marijuana

(WICHITA, Kan.) — A Butler County man and his teenage son were arrested, accused of growing marijuana.

The Butler County Sheriff's Office says the father and son were arrested after a search warrant found drugs and paraphernalia in the home.    

“It finally it got to a point where we served a search warrant,” says Sheriff Kelly Herzet.

Once inside they found James L. Price and his 17-year-old son.  They also found what they describe as marijuana grow operation.

“It was in a closet. They were very healthy plants...the buds were big,” says Herzet.

“We found a large amount of paraphernalia. There were two areas in the home set up with a large marijuana pipe that people could take a hit off of.”

James Price declined to go on camera but shared his side of the story. He disputes most of the charges, but admits his son may have been smoking marijuana.  He says the whole thing has been overblown.

That's not how the sheriff sees it.

“Father teaching son how to be a drug dealer in my opinion,” says Herzet.

Investigators say they also found names in Price’s home of other teens who attend Rose Hill High School. They don't plan to pursue charges, but do plan to notify parents.

“We're putting together a letter from the list of names,” says Herzet.

They suspect other teens were buying drugs from Price and his son. Price tells us it's not true.