Pocono News Section

70 Pounds of Pot Found at Teacher's Home

70 Pounds of Pot Found at Teacher's Home - Monday, January 12, 2009 at 4:30PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Monday, Jan 12, 2009 @ 04:30pm EST
Old Lycoming Township, Lycoming County-

An elementary school teacher from Williamsport is in hot water after police found a massive stash of marijuana at her house.

State police say they found more than 70 pounds of pot with a street value of $350,000 at the Old Lycoming Township home of 52-year-old Beth Camp, and her husband, 51-year-old Randal Camp.

Their son, 33-year-old Jerry Fisher, was also charged.

Beth Camp has been a teacher at Round Hills Elementary School for more than 20 years. Word of the arrests have parents in this community outraged.

John Sharar, of Williamsport, said, “It’s just unbelievable, and besides that I only live a mile-and-a-half from that school. My son went there; my grandchildren just recently left there and went to middle school. Just couldn’t believe it when I read it. I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.”

Police say they were acting on a tip when they arrested two suspected drug dealers Thursday night. Those two suspects, in turn, told police about a massive stash of marijuana allegedly hidden at the home of Beth and Randal Camp.

Police got a search warrant and found plenty of pot hidden in a barn adjacent to the house. There was more pot in a freezer in the basement of the home, as well as under a mattress where the Camp’s 7-year-old granddaughter slept.

Sharar noted, “They all had to know about it. As far as I’m concerned they all did, everybody in the household.”

The Williamsport Area School District issued a statement noting that Beth Camp would not be permitted to return to the district until an ongoing investigation is completed.

Sharar added, “Just teaching kids and having kids being under her, being involved in drugs? She should know better than that, the teacher should.”

Beth Camp and her son, Jerry, are locked up at the Lycoming County Prison tonight. Randal Camp is free on bail.