Gambell tip leads to Houston pot grow

HOUSTON — A traveler carrying a suspiciously large hunk of cash on a flight to Anchorage from Gambell led investigators to an Armstrong Road marijuana grow and $212,000 worth of dope.

According to a press release from Alaska State Troopers, the tip about the money came in March 26 and the traveler — unnamed in the press release — was stopped at the airport.

Investigators “seized several thousands of dollars in U.S. currency that was suspected to be profits of illegal drug proceeds and further believed the money was intended to purchase additional controlled substances that would be brought back to Gambell.”

Troopers also came away with a lead on a pot grow which they took down on April 18 when they served a warrant on a home off of Armstrong Road.

A search, “resulted in the seizure of 104 live growing marijuana plants, 1.72 pounds of processed marijuana, items related to the distribution of marijuana and various marijuana related grow equipment.

“The estimated ‘street value’ of the seized marijuana was determined to be $212,000,” according to the press release.

Troopers waited until the next day to arrest the man they believe was responsible. That man, Craig Talbott, 48, of Wasilla, was jailed at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on $20,000 bail charged with fourth-degree drug misconduct.

Talbott’s criminal history includes a disorderly conduct charge in 2009 and a plea in 2008 that saw him taking a charge of evidence tampering while a charge of having more than four ounces of marijuana was dismissed. There’s also a couple of drunken driving charges from 2006 and 1998. The only other drug case in his history is a 1998 felony case out of Anchorage.

As of Friday afternoon he had made bail and been released from jail.