Father, son busted for drug operation

April 9, 2006

MARY AMES

Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - The Mat-Su Narcotics Unit busted a father-son team for a commercial marijuana grow operation at their house off Lower Mesa Road Wednesday night.

When investigators arrived with a search warrant about 6:30 p.m., they found Gregory James Sr., 48, and Gregory James Jr., 18, with 22 pot plants and a variety of other drugs to boot, according to a police report.

Besides the plants and about a pound of processed marijuana, officers found dark, tar-like heroin, cocaine and methadone, the report said.

The report described the amount of the other drugs as &#8220several grams,” and Joel Smith, an investigator with the unit, said only that the crime lab would determine the official quantity of each drug.

&#8220It's not unusual to find other types of drugs at a place,” Smith said.

Investigators suspected the dope grow because the odor could be detected from the end of the driveway, which was about 30 yards from the house, Smith said. Most of the pot plants were in bud, but some of them were starters, he said.

Investigators also found some cash at the house, an amount Smith would confirm only as between $500 and $1,000.

Although investigators found other people at the house, only James Sr. and James Jr. were arrested, Smith said.

&#8220There was the typical paraphernalia, tin foil and straws,” Smith said. &#8220But the house was pretty clean, not like a flop house.”

There was no evidence that either James was on a treatment program or had a prescription for methadone, Smith said.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents and troopers from the Palmer post assisted in the bust, according to the report.

&#8220DEA helps out quite a bit with manpower,” Smith said. &#8220With drugs like heroin, they're interested.”

James Sr. was charged with one count of second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, four counts of fourth-degree MICS, and tampering with physical evidence, according to court records

Court records show 35 other entries in Palmer and Anchorage for James Sr., including a conviction in 2000 for promoting contraband, five fourth-degree MICS charges in 1999, fifth-degree MICS and driving with a canceled, suspended or revoked license, three fourth-degree MICS charges in 1996, and driving while intoxicated, driving with a canceled, suspended or revoked license and refusal to submit to a chemical test in 1991.

James Jr. has a 2004 conviction for minor consuming alcohol.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.