Jemison man pleads guilty to marijuana charge

Published 12:59 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2015

A Jemison man pleaded guilty on Monday to possession of marijuana first degree.

Aaron James Rueter, 44, of Jemison, was scheduled to appear in court on Monday for a jury trial for two charges including trafficking marijuana, a Class A felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor, according to court records.

Rueter entered a guilty plea Monday to possession of marijuana first degree, and is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 25 at 9 a.m. before Chilton County Circuit Judge Ben A. Fuller.

Rueter was arrested in August 2014 after officers with the Jemison Police Department seized 786 marijuana plants, two ounces of marijuana already harvested and multiple articles of drug paraphernalia from Rueter’s home.

At the time of Rueter’s arrest, authorities said Alabama State Troopers Marijuana Eradication Task Force flew over Rueter’s home on County Road 5 in Jemison and spotted the marijuana from the air.

JPD officers, along with assisting agencies from the state, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department and Clanton Police Department, secured the residence and took Rueter into custody.

At the time of the arrest, authorities estimated the street value for the marijuana was more than $1.5 million.

Rueter was scheduled to appear in court in April for his plea date where he would have the option to inform the court whether the case would go to trial or whether he would enter a plea of guilty, according to court records.

An order filed by Fuller in April said Rueter’s plea was held open and Fuller scheduled the case go to trial July 27.

Currently, Rueter remains out of jail on a bond of $30,750.