The Magic Bus reached its destination.
More than three years after Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Lensey Ray Dail for maintaining a marijuana-growing operation in an underground school bus, he’s going free.
After a fashion.
Tuesday, Dail pled guilty in Lenoir County Superior Court to three counts, all felonies — possession of marijuana, selling of a Schedule VI controlled substance and maintaining a place for controlled substances. He received consecutive suspended sentences of 36 months each.
Sixteen days served in Lenoir County jail negated consecutive sentences of 10 days in county jail, a condition of the probation.
He also is responsible for $9,124.50 in costs, $8,000 of that for restitution.
If Dail violates his probation in the next six years, he could be sentenced to 10-12 months in prison for the selling a Schedule VI controlled substance conviction and six to eight months in prison for the other two.
Before his plea, Dail faced charges of three counts of attempting to traffic marijuana, two counts of trafficking marijuana, two counts of maintaining a place for controlled substances, and one count each of conspiracy to traffic marijuana, possession with intent to sell or distribute marijuana and selling a Schedule VI controlled substance.
Deputies arrested Dail and his wife Desiz in January 2010, following up on a 12-pound marijuana purchase. Authorities seized 68 adult marijuana plants, split between Mexican/homegrown low-grade plants and hydroponic high-grade plants.
“We’ve found a lot of grows, but this is the first one underground we have found like this,” LCSO Lt. Eddie Eubanks said at the time. “He really had it together. He had it down to an art. It was well thought-out. It was definitely not his first time growing.”
Dail self-published a book on the case, “The Magic Bus Bust,” in 2011. In a back-cover blurb, Dail said the second installment of his side of the tale would be told following the case’s conclusion.
Desiz Dail, up for two counts of trafficking marijuana and two counts of maintaining a place for a controlled substance, had her charges dismissed.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.
Lensey Ray Dail, 55
Pleads guilty to:
-Felony possession of marijuana
-Felony selling of a Schedule VI controlled substance
-Felony maintaining a place for controlled substances