A 36-year-old optician and her 40-year-old construction worker boyfriend are facing a variety of drug-related charges after police staged a raid on their Homestead Dr. home and found more than 900 marihuana plants under cultivation.
      Police also discovered psychedelic mushrooms under cultivation in the home where two small children, ages 3 and 6, live with the couple.
      Sgt. Mike Hughes, head of the Boardman Police Department’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU) said police raided 173 Homestead Dr. where they found some 965 marihuana plants, as well as 26 mason jars that contained spores from the so-called magic mushrooms.
      In addition, Officer Hughes said “In the basement, officers discovered new construction of marihuana grow rooms.”
      Among the items confiscated during the raid was a cement mixer. Inside the mixer, police found suspected marihuana debris and when asked what the mixer was used for, police learned the device had been used to make hash oil.
      Charged with cultivating marihuana in the vicinity of a juvenile, possession of psilocybin and possession of drug paraphernalia was Amanda Hennon, 36, who told police she is an optician at America’s Best on Boardman-Poland Rd.
      She posted a $20,500 bond, police said.
      Also facing charges of illegal cultivation of marihuana, possession of psilocybin mushrooms and possession of drug paraphernalia is Thomas Charles Tibi Jr., 40, a self-employed construction worker. He was lodged in jail on a $16,500 bond.
      Also seized during the raid were the following:
      A pot pipe, a 16-gauge shotgun, a .22-caliber rifle, a .50-caliber rifle, a .45-caliber black powder rifle, a .357 lever-action rifle, two large bags of dry marihuana, two hash bags, an electronic scale, nine grow lights and a log book.
      Officers deployed on the raid on the home included Det. Tim Hughes, Ptl. William Woods, Ptl. Jeffrey Lytle, Ptl. John Gocala and Ptl. Nicholas Antonucci.