This is some fukked up shit, now i gotta throw my BB guns too.
pot bust in NE Minn.
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SIDE LAKE -- A Boundary Waters Drug Task Force operation found a lot of pot last week north of Hibbing -- the biggest marijuana growing operation the agency has ever seen in northern Minnesota.
That’s the assessment of BWDTF Commander Dennis Benz in describing a flyover/ground discovery of more than 1,300 marijuana plants weighing more than 200 pounds and carrying a street value of more than $1 million.
Authorities last Thursday arrested Thorsten Gorham Otterness, 49, of Side Lake, at his residence. He was arraigned on Wednesday in District Court in Virginia with three felony counts. They are:
• First-degree possession of marijuana with the intent to sell.
• First-degree possession of marijuana.
• Possession of a prohibited firearm -- a Daisy BB gun. He was not allowed to have any firearm because of a 2000 conviction of sale of marijuana -- a crime of violence.
The maximum sentence for the drug charges is a maximum of 30 years in prison and/or a $1 million fine for a first violation or up to 40 years and/or a $1 million fine for a second or subsequent violation.
The maximum sentence for the firearms charge is 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine.
In a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon, Benz said a cooperative law enforcement effort was launched that included a flyover the Otterness residence at 7282 Rearing Pond Road in Side Lake.
“We have people of interest who we compile with information provided and past history. We then get GPS locations to make sure we are not flying randomly so that when we go up with the copter we utilize it efficiently.
“He (Otterness) had a 1991 third-degree conviction for cultivating marijuana. We had certified spotters trained to see this type of foilage,” Benz said.
There were five law enforcement officers in the U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter from the Air National Guard that was used on last week’s mission, he said.
The complaint describes what was seen on the flight.
“Upon flying over the property, Deputy Tarr observed a large marijuana grow operation approximately 100 yards north of a red trailer house and another building behind a row of pine trees in an open field area. Through his training and experience, he believed that the large plants appeared to be that of marijuana plants.”
Officers then obtained a search warrant and it was executed at 7:41 p.m. last Thursday.
The defendant reviewed the search warrant, according to the complaint, and said he wanted an attorney while also saying he would take full responsibility for why officers were on the property.
The complaint describes the marijuana discovery.
“Officers noted that inside the trailer house the west end of the room was converted into a marijuana drying room. They observed marijuana plants hanging from strings running across the ceiling. Further, in another bedroom along the south wall, they observed a marijuana starting room where it appeared that the defendant was starting seedling plants before placing them outside.
“Officers then went to a log cabin located directly behind the trailer which appeared to be used as a large scale drying room for a marijuana grow operation.
“Officers located an outdoor marijuana grow north of the residence which contained approximately 1,325 plants that were about six feet in length. Officers pulled 175 of the plants, leaving the root structure intact with the remaining plants harvested by a chainsaw or machete.
“The marijuana plants were then removed and placed in a St. Louis County dump truck for transport. The dump truck was then driven and placed in a locked Morton building with the intent to weigh the dump truck to determine the weight of all the marijuana plants. The weight of the plants is believed to be in excess of 100 kilograms.”
Benz said the BWDTF last year busted nine marijuana growing operations, making eight arrests.
“This just shows to those growing that if you do so, you can get caught,” he said.
Benz praised the cooperative law enforcement effort, that included assistance from the Minnesota Air National Guard, U.S. Forest Service, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia Police Department.
“Everyone really worked together well. And we can’t be successful without such help,” Benz said.
pot bust in NE Minn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIDE LAKE -- A Boundary Waters Drug Task Force operation found a lot of pot last week north of Hibbing -- the biggest marijuana growing operation the agency has ever seen in northern Minnesota.
That’s the assessment of BWDTF Commander Dennis Benz in describing a flyover/ground discovery of more than 1,300 marijuana plants weighing more than 200 pounds and carrying a street value of more than $1 million.
Authorities last Thursday arrested Thorsten Gorham Otterness, 49, of Side Lake, at his residence. He was arraigned on Wednesday in District Court in Virginia with three felony counts. They are:
• First-degree possession of marijuana with the intent to sell.
• First-degree possession of marijuana.
• Possession of a prohibited firearm -- a Daisy BB gun. He was not allowed to have any firearm because of a 2000 conviction of sale of marijuana -- a crime of violence.
The maximum sentence for the drug charges is a maximum of 30 years in prison and/or a $1 million fine for a first violation or up to 40 years and/or a $1 million fine for a second or subsequent violation.
The maximum sentence for the firearms charge is 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine.
In a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon, Benz said a cooperative law enforcement effort was launched that included a flyover the Otterness residence at 7282 Rearing Pond Road in Side Lake.
“We have people of interest who we compile with information provided and past history. We then get GPS locations to make sure we are not flying randomly so that when we go up with the copter we utilize it efficiently.
“He (Otterness) had a 1991 third-degree conviction for cultivating marijuana. We had certified spotters trained to see this type of foilage,” Benz said.
There were five law enforcement officers in the U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter from the Air National Guard that was used on last week’s mission, he said.
The complaint describes what was seen on the flight.
“Upon flying over the property, Deputy Tarr observed a large marijuana grow operation approximately 100 yards north of a red trailer house and another building behind a row of pine trees in an open field area. Through his training and experience, he believed that the large plants appeared to be that of marijuana plants.”
Officers then obtained a search warrant and it was executed at 7:41 p.m. last Thursday.
The defendant reviewed the search warrant, according to the complaint, and said he wanted an attorney while also saying he would take full responsibility for why officers were on the property.
The complaint describes the marijuana discovery.
“Officers noted that inside the trailer house the west end of the room was converted into a marijuana drying room. They observed marijuana plants hanging from strings running across the ceiling. Further, in another bedroom along the south wall, they observed a marijuana starting room where it appeared that the defendant was starting seedling plants before placing them outside.
“Officers then went to a log cabin located directly behind the trailer which appeared to be used as a large scale drying room for a marijuana grow operation.
“Officers located an outdoor marijuana grow north of the residence which contained approximately 1,325 plants that were about six feet in length. Officers pulled 175 of the plants, leaving the root structure intact with the remaining plants harvested by a chainsaw or machete.
“The marijuana plants were then removed and placed in a St. Louis County dump truck for transport. The dump truck was then driven and placed in a locked Morton building with the intent to weigh the dump truck to determine the weight of all the marijuana plants. The weight of the plants is believed to be in excess of 100 kilograms.”
Benz said the BWDTF last year busted nine marijuana growing operations, making eight arrests.
“This just shows to those growing that if you do so, you can get caught,” he said.
Benz praised the cooperative law enforcement effort, that included assistance from the Minnesota Air National Guard, U.S. Forest Service, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia Police Department.
“Everyone really worked together well. And we can’t be successful without such help,” Benz said.
