Federal Agents raided the property of a St. Thomas man Thursday and seized more than 100 cannabis plants, including 40 recently harvested plants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday.
Kenneth Turbe, 42, was charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents had received a warrant Wednesday for Turbe’s residence and iCloud account, where they allegedly found photos of vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, marijuana plants, large black planter pots containing marijuana plants, and bags of marijuana inside a safe.
Virgin Islands property records online did not list real estate owned by Turbe and court files relating to the arrest remained sealed.
At-home cannabis cultivation is legal, with some restrictions, for registered personal medical users and sacramental users, said Joanne Moorehead, executive director of the Virgin Islands Office of Cannabis Regulation. Those users are barred from commercial sale or distribution of cannabis.
Commercial cultivation is authorized only through licensure under the Virgin Islands Cannabis Use Act. People interested in commercial cannabis growth and sales should review the licensing requirements and applicable laws and regulations available on the OCR website, where requirements for at-home cultivation and commercial licensure are outlined, Moorehead said.
In 2014, Turbe narrowly escaped being smashed by a wayward Coast Guard vessel while lobster fishing between Vieques and St. Thomas. Turbe and another man leaped from their 42-foot fishing boat moments before the Coast Guard’s 110-foot island-class patrol boat slammed them from the starboard side around 6:30 a.m. Sept. 14, 2014.
The Sea Shepherd fishing boat eventually sank in more than 100 feet of water. Reports from the Transportation Safety Administration said the Coast Guard vessel’s officer of the deck was fatigued, having gotten only 3.5 hours of sleep in the previous 24 hours and may have nodded off while on duty, or wandered off to find another missing officer.
