Feds arrest Valley residents on drug charges

ANCHORAGE -- Five Valley residents are among eight people facing federal drug and money laundering charges. They're accused of selling equipment they knew would be used for marijuana growing operations.

The indictments handed down in May by an Anchorage federal grand jury were unsealed last week after the arrest of seven defendants. An eighth person named in the indictments was already in jail on an earlier drug conviction.

Among those lodged at Cook Inlet Pre-Trial Facility is Waymon R. Price, 44, of Big Lake. The former owner of Brandy's Hydroponics is charged with knowingly selling marijuana growing equipment in October 2001 from his Big Lake store to a person he believed was going to use the equipment to grow marijuana for distribution. He also is charged with money laundering.

Price was at the center of a recent dispute with U.S. Customs officials, claiming they damaged his semitrailer and its contents after seizing the vehicle Aug. 19 at the Alaska-Canada border. Customs officials said two drug-sniffing dogs "alerted" for marijuana at the same spot in the truck.

Price, however, vehemently denied involvement with drugs.

"I've worked my butt off for what I got," he said in an earlier interview about the incident. "It sure didn't come from that direction."

Steven M. Walker, 42, of Wasilla, was charged with knowingly selling marijuana growing equipment to a person he believed was going to use it to grow pot for distribution, as well as money laundering. Walker is the former owner of Far North Garden Supply.

Diane J. Hill and Larry D. Hill of Big Lake were charged with conspiracy to grow marijuana, growing marijuana, and maintaining a place to grow marijuana stemming from activities in September 2001.

Robert McKenna, 51, of Wasilla, and Robert C. Hosie, 59, of Anchorage, were charged with conspiracy, attempted distribution of marijuana, and distribution of marijuana for alleged activities between September and November 2000. In addition, McKenna was charged with distributing cocaine.

Clyde D. Fowler, 60, of Anchorage, and Matthew Skonieczki, 49, of Anchorage, were charged with conspiracy, distribution of marijuana, and money laundering. They allegedly used Advanced Hydroponics in Anchorage as a place to distribute marijuana between December 2002 and March.

Zoran Yankovich, Drug Enforcement Agency assistant special agent for Alaska, said specifics of the crimes made them federal violations, rather than crimes to be handled by state or local officers.

"It becomes a federal violation if someone uses a legitimate business to further drug trafficking," he said. "It's not just selling grow equipment, but selling it knowingly to people who would grow drugs. That's what we were looking at."

Federal agents made undercover purchases of marijuana starter plants, growing equipment, and cocaine during the three-year investigation, said U.S. Attorney Tim Burgess.

"Alaska's marijuana growers rely almost exclusively upon indoor growing methods to produce their crops," he said. "They cannot grow marijuana without these light systems."