A Lyle woman growing marijuana in her home pleaded guilty to fifth-degree drug possession Thursday in Mower County Court.

Deborah Jean Tucker, 57, entered into a plea agreement and had one count of fifth-degree drug sale dismissed.

On March 14, Tucker’s boyfriend, Conrad Walter Petersen, 64, was pulled over in Idaho, and according to a court complaint, Idaho law enforcement found $71,505 in cash and 3 grams of marijuana. Because the bundles of money smelled of marijuana, officers became suspicious Petersen might be part of a growing operation.

Mower County Sheriff’s deputies learned of Petersen’s traffic stop in Idaho on March 15 and visited the house he shares with Tucker in Lyle Township. A search uncovered items used for growing marijuana, including heat lamps, irrigation equipment and a “walled-off room” inside a shed that contained 48 empty growing pots, a carbon dioxide tank and liquid fertilizers.

Tucker admitted she had three marijuana plants growing in an upstairs closet, but she threw them away when she heard of Petersen’s arrest. Tucker admitted Petersen, who was on his way to Washington when he was arrested, had bought 20-30 small marijuana plants from someone in Washington previously.

Tucker also told officers Petersen had harvested the marijuana from the shed a few weeks ago.

The seized marijuana weighed 733.5 grams.

Tucker is scheduled to appear in Mower County Court for sentencing on July 22. Petersen has yet to be sentenced.