Authorities find 500 pot plants in Wasilla home

WASILLA — A husband and wife were arrested Monday after a police raid of their Wasilla home produced more than 500 marijuana plants.

Investigators with the Mat-Su Drug Unit, the Major Offender’s Unit and the Alaska Interdiction Task Force served a search warrant on the house of Trace Thoms, 46, and Jennifer Thoms, 35.

The Alaska State Troopers press release describes officers found a large commercial marijuana grow operation. The 511 plants had a total weight of 214 pounds. When dried, this would produce an estimated 35.65 pounds of marijuana, troopers report.

Also seized from the house was more than $82,000 in cash, two firearms, a Ford pickup, a Volvo front-end loader, a utility trailer, five snowmachines and an all-terrain vehicle.

The two suspects were charged with fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance.

“What makes this bust so significant is not just the size of it,” AST spokeswoman Megan Peters said. “The real significance is the amount of cash that was seized and also multiple vehicles.”

Peters said the law enforcement agencies are allowed to seize anything thought to have been proceeds of drug sales. She likened it to hunting violations. Wildlife troopers can seize anything used during the commission of the violation — float planes, rifles, snowmachines — with the possibility of the possessions being returned to owners once the case goes to court.

The investigation — a joint effort between the state, federal and local agencies — revealed this grow has been in operation since 1999, Peters said. The vehicles were seized because they were all relatively new.

“It will be through plea deals or sentencing that the state gets to keep the vehicles or they are returned to the owners,” she said. “There is always the possibility it could be returned. But if they are convicted, it is unlike they will see it again.”

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.

Editor’s note: A version of this story was first reported Tuesday at frontiersman.com.