Giles County
Sheriff's Office
503 Wenonah Avenue
Pearisburg, VA 24134

24 hour Emergency Number - Dial 911

Business Hours:
8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

(540) 921-3842
(540) 921-4976  (Fax)

After Hours/Dispatch
(540) 921-3842

Marijuana Find Leads to Major Drug and Gun Bust

During the annual marijuana eradication program, officers searching for marijuana from the air located several marijuana plants growing near a residence.  Ground teams went to the residence and found several more marijuana plants on the property.  Members of the Giles County Drug Task Force obtained a search warrant for the residence.  The search team recovered several more pounds of marijuana (some already processed and packaged for distribution), several explosive devices, precision scales, 120 assorted firearms, and several thousand rounds of ammunition.  Also seized were two ATV's, several hundred dollars in US currency, and other assets.

Pictured above: (front row) Sheriff Millirons, Investigator Moye, Narrows PD Officer McCroskey, Investigator Thwaites, Investigator Gautier, State Police Special Agent Thomas, Pembroke PD Officer Wagner, (rear row) Lt. Dunn, Rich Creek PD Chief Kelly, and Pearisburg PD Officer Ratcliffe.

Marijuana Plants From the Search

Officers searching from helicopters spotted several marijuana plants growing in an assortment of containers.  Ground teams found even more plants after the air spotters alerted them.  In all, more than seventy marijuana plants were found.

Guns Seized During the Search

Several television and newspaper reporters were invited to a press conference during which Sheriff Millirons discussed the details of the case. Millirons described the guns as being mostly hunting and target rifles and shotguns.  Several handguns and several thousand rounds of assorted ammunition were also seized.

A Real Team Effort

Numerous agencies assisted in the investigation including the Giles County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Virginia State Police, Police Departments from Narrows, Pearisburg, Rich Creek, and Pembroke, and the US Army National Guard.

The suspect was arrested the same day as the search and additional charges may be forthcoming.