Anchorage Daily News

ANCHOR POINT -- A man accused of running a marijuana growing operation on the Kenai Peninsula appeared in court Friday on four counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance, Alaska State Troopers said.

Nathan Sargeant Sr., 44, was booked in Kenai on the felony charges after investigators serving a search warrant on several buildings in Anchor Point on Thursday discovered two marijuana gardens containing hundreds of plants, troopers said.

Sargeant is the owner of Sarge's Multi Services, an auto repair shop located on the Sterling Highway, said Sgt. Sonny Sabala of the Alaska Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Enforcement. The building where the grow was discovered, on Sunshine Place, is the old location of the business that Sargeant had moved out of years ago, he said.

Inside it, investigators following a tip discovered 323 marijuana plants and 182 nonrooted starter plants, troopers said. They also found a quarter-pound of packaged weed, packaging material, two scales, 25 firearms and assorted growing equipment.

Judging by the size and associated paraphernalia, the grow was commercial, Sabala said, though it was unclear where the product was being distributed.

A pile of dirt outside containing previously grown marijuana bulbs indicated the grow had produced at least one previous crop, Sabala said. Marijuana grow operators frequently replace their dirt to ensure the soil is nutrient-rich, he said.

ADVERTISEMENT