Carson City pair jailed, allegedly growing over 50 pounds of marijuana next to school

Two Carson City residents were arrested in the 1100 block of Fremont Street for alleged cultivation of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance for sale, trafficking marijuana, and cultivation of concentrated marijuana, all felony charges.

Brian Dean Walkem, 53, and Tanya M Walkem, 50, were arrested after deputies were alerted by an anonymous source that the pair was growing more than 12 marijuana plants at their residence, the arrest report states.

Deputies arrived in the area of the residence and went onto school property in order to look into the backyard. The fence was “see through” according to the report and deputies could see 8 mature marijuana plants in the backyard of the residence by simply standing in the field.

Deputies could also see a detached shed in the backyard with a small window that emitted a glowing light, according to the arrest report. As deputies inspected the area, the occupants opened the back door and let their dogs out. The dogs ran to the location of the deputies and began to bark.

The report states deputies walked to the front of the house and noted several security cameras located on the exterior of the house, as well as flood lights. As officers approached the house, they could smell a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the residence, the report states.

Deputies knocked on the door and the male answered. Deputies asked if he was growing marijuana plants, and he said yes. He told deputies that he, his ex-wife, and his roommate lived in the house, and consented to allow deputies inside the residence.

Inside, deputies saw a sofa bed in the living room covered in approximately 2-3 pounds of shake, which is the trimmings of marijuana without the flower. The male told deputies he was in the process of cutting it.

In the kitchen, deputies located clear plastic baggies in the kitchen, as well as a dish containing a large amount of shake alongside a tote sized container filled 2/3 full with shake. They also noted a machine used to make marijuana concentrate, which the man confirmed.

The male took deputies into the backyard, where 11 mature marijuana plants were growing along the back fence line. The man then opened the shed and showed deputies approximately 35 small marijuana plants. According to the report, he told deputies that he starts the plants under the lighting in the shed before moving them outside to be transplanted.

In addition, there were approximately 10-12 mature marijuana plants on the side yard, and approximately 15 more mature marijuana plants in the remainder of the side yard, the report states. He told deputies that he did not have a medical marijuana card, but his ex-wife did.

Deputies spoke with the female over the phone, who was at work and said she was going to leave to come home and discuss the situation with deputies. When she arrived, she gave her medical marijuana card to deputies, which permits her to cultivate marijuana plants, but only 12.

The male suspect said that the marijuana is grown and shared equally between he, his ex-wife and the roommate. The pair were taken into custody and transferred to the Carson City Jail. A search warrant was granted for the house, cars and shed.

The following was located during the search warrant:

• Marijuana (Room A) inside closet, shelves and in approximately 30 mason jars
• Marijuana Seeds (located on the fridge shelf on top)
Butane Can (Room A) located on south wall
• Glass dish with Butane Hash Oil Residue (Room A south wall)
• Marijuana (located on kitchen table and kitchen floor)
• Marijuana (Located in garage/hanging in garage)
• Blasting tube (located on garage floor near door)
• Marijuana (located in large tub in living room)
• Fed Ex Box with Marijuana in tub (living room)
• Digital Scale (kitchen counter drawer)
• 30 Marijuana Plants in shed
• 8 marijuana plants (backyard N. Fence)
• 5 marijuana plants (backyard N. Fence)
11 Marijuana plants (backyard West)
• 2 marijuana plants (fenced in enclosure)
• 3 marijuana plants (fenced in enclosure)

According to deputies “based on the items located during the search warrant, I know through my training and experience that those items are used to manufacture concentrated marijuana. I also charged Brian and Tanya for manufacturing concentrated marijuana.”

Nearly 60 plants were seized with a weight of over 50 pounds. According to the report, the approximate street value is $50,000.

The male was booked for alleged cultivation of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance for sale, trafficking marijuana, cultivation of concentrated marijuana. Bail: $27,500. The female was booked for cultivation of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $2,500.

In other arrests:
— A Carson City teen was jailed after allegedly stealing cans of dust spray from a local department store and, along with minors, was allegedly huffing them inside of a car in an apartment complex’s parking lot.

According to the report, the 18-year-old was arrested after deputies received a report of juveniles huffing inside of a parked car at an apartment complex located in the 1600 block of Russell Way just after 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Upon arrival, deputies approached the vehicle and saw that the driver of the vehicle was passed out and slumped over in the driver’s seat, and that the vehicle was occupied by two additional male juveniles.

Deputies instructed the three to keep their hands in front of them and not to move. The occupants of the vehicle were slow to respond, but compliant, the report states.

The 18-year-old was placed in handcuffs and placed into the rear seat of a patrol vehicle. The 18-year-old had red, watery eyes and appeared disoriented and confused about what was going on, the report states.

One of the other juveniles was removed from the vehicle, and he did not appear to have any redness in his eyes nor was he exhibiting signs of intoxication or being under the influence of any substances. He was placed in another patrol vehicle, the arrest report states. The third juvenile was observed hitting his head on the passenger window of the vehicle, and he was then placed in handcuffs and detained.

Earlier in the day, the 18-year-old and one of the juveniles had been contacted earlier in the day by another deputy after being reported for huffing in the parking lot of a local thrift store/food bank. However, at that time deputies were unable to prove the pair had been huffing, the report states.

Deputies spoke with the juvenile, and said they remembered him, and he agreed he remembered them as well. Deputies told him to be honest and tell the truth. The juvenile told deputies he did not huff anything and he just wanted to get back to Reno because he had work in the morning. He said the 18-year-old had picked him up in Reno, and he was waiting for him to take him back home. He denied ever using the dust off spray as an inhalant.

The other juvenile told deputies he met with the 18-year-old, the 18-year-old’s girlfriend, and the second juvenile earlier in the day to hang out with the 18-year-old. The 18-year-old said he was running low on some “cans,” so they were going to get more.

He said they went to a local store, and the juvenile waited outside the vehicle while the 18-year-old and the second juvenile went inside. They returned with several cans of compressed gas air cans, which were not in any plastic bags.

The juvenile said that the 18-year-old and the other juvenile took several hits of compressed gas from the cans, and then the juvenile asked the 18-year-old to take him home, which he did. However, he said after he was dropped off, the 18-year-old called asking if he “wanted to chill” and to come check on him because he was “messed up.”

The juvenile said he walked out to his car which was still parked outside and noticed that the other juvenile was gone and no longer in the vehicle. He said he got into the passenger seat of the vehicle and approximately 15 minutes later deputies arrived. The 18-year-old admitted to deputies that he had been huffing. While on scene, the 18-year-old’s girlfriend and her mother showed up on the scene.

The girlfriend told deputies she had hung out with the 18-year-old for the rest of the day after deputies had encountered him earlier in the day near her home. She said she went with him and the other juvenile to the store at approximately 6:55 p.m. and again with the other two juveniles at 8:20 p.m.

She said both times, the 18-year-old and the other juvenile entered the store and returned with several cans of compressed air cans, which had been stolen.

Inside the vehicle, deputies observed several cans of dust off-style compressed air cans sitting on the floor boards in plain view. There were three cans on the floor of the passenger seat, four cans near the passenger front seat, and three cans near the driver’s seat. They also located brass knuckles on the driver’s side where the 18-year-old had been sitting.

He was booked on possession of drug paraphernalia, use of a chemical to induce euphoria, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, parole and probation hold, and the use or possession of dangerous weapons. No bail on P&P hold.

— All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.