What began as a simple domestic disturbance call for Sharpsville police has turned into one of the biggest drug busts in the borough in recent years.

Chief Keith Falasco said among the items found by police in a basement room of a house at 1010 Main St. at 1:20 p.m. Saturday were five "large" marijuana plants, each about 4-feet tall, and 23 smaller plants. Falasco said Monday police were uncertain of the pot's value because it had not been weighed.

Police said they charged Stephen Joel Sagenich Jr., 27, with manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Falasco said the female resident of the house was not charged.

"It's been quite a few years since there's been any amount of propagation of growth of any plants in the amount we have here," Falasco said. "Most of them we've had were in stages that were already packaged and bagged and everything. ... This is the most we've had still growing, not being processed yet."

Although Sagenich reported his address as 7266 W. Market St., Lot 56, Mercer, during arraignment Sunday before District Justice Ruth M. French, Mercer, Falasco said Sagenich was living at 1010 Main St. at the time of the arrest.

He was taken to Mercer County Jail after failing to post $50,000 straight bail, Falasco said, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 2 before District Justice James E. McMahon in Sharon.

Falasco said police were initially called to the address in response to a domestic disturbance and originally charged Sagenich with disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

After obtaining consent from both residents to search the house, police discovered the drug cache and what Falasco described as a "crude" marijuana greenhouse in a back room of the basement.

Falasco said police saw a light, heard the motors running and saw wires running in under the door, which was unlocked. In addition to the 28 plants, police discovered a cutting table and tools, Falasco said. He also noted that a lot of the plants were cut up and packaged on the table.

"It was crude, but he had a basement room completely set off by itself with the heaters and the fans and the lighting and the watering and all that," Falasco said. "And it looks like it had been going for some time."

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Jeff Greenburg at
jgreenburg@sharonherald.com.