Major drug bust executed
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Two face charges after Ramsey Farm house raided
The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two individuals on a number of drug-related charges.
According to the arrest reports, RCSO has been investigating possible criminal activity on four properties known locally as “Ramsey Farms.”
The properties were suspected as a “drug hub” and hangout for individuals unlawfully using and selling controlled substances.
Over many months, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office, with the help of outside law enforcement agencies, had compiled a list of individuals and criminal activity supporting the above claims, resulting in an execution of a search warrant at “Ramsey Farms”
During the execution of this search warrant on May 27, the following defendants were arrested on federal and local charges and booked into the Ringgold County Jail.
James Robert Castillo, 32, a resident at Ramsey Farm, was charged with:
1. Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
2. Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
3. Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
4. Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
5. Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
No bond was set for Castillo.
Laura Michelle Vaughn, 52, another a resident at Ramsey Farm, was charged with:
1. Gathering Where Controlled Substances are Used (‘D’ Felony)
2. Maintaining a Drug House (Aggravated Misdemeanor)
3. Possession of Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine 2nd Offense (Aggravated Misdemeanor)
4. Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor)
Bond for Vaughn was set at $9,300 cash.
Agencies assisting in the investigation include Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Creston police department, Afton police department, Iowa Department of Narcotic Enforcement, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Ringgold County Conservation, Maryville, MO, police department, and the Multi-Jurisdictional Entry Team (MJET).
Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Background
Ramsey Farms was established by California real estate developer Paul Ramsey, who as a youth lived for a time at the farm with his grandparents Clyde and Jessie Lesan.
In 2001, Ramsey established a non-profit organization and donated $400,000 toward renovating the property as a tourist attraction, including a bed and breakfast facilities, short-term rental rooms, and an event pavilion.
Ramsey passed away in 2015, and Ramsey Farm was left in the hands of a local foundation and a series of caretakers.
The most recent caretaker was Debra Weaver. who lived at the farm and was later joined by her daughter Laura Vaughn. The two women catered meals, tended bar, and organized events at the pavilion for farm guests.
In recent years, the pavilion ceased operation, but the bed and breakfast business continued until the death of Weaver in December 2024.
Vaughn continued living in the property at the farm known as Aunt Jennie’s house following her mother’s death, but a house fire on January 2025 completely destroyed the structure, thereby displacing Vaughn.
A space heater inside the house was initially thought to be the cause of the fire, but no final determination was made.
At the time of the fire, it was learned that individuals were staying in the house next door, but no determination was ever made as to whether those individuals were paying guests at the farm.
