February 27, 2009 in City
Police bust opium operation in Grant County
Investigators found what could be Grant County’s first known indoor opium growing operation during a raid this week just south of Ephrata.
William P. Helfrich, 56, faces charges of possession and manufacturing marijuana and opium after 15 marijuana plants and four, 13-gallon bags of opium poppy pods were found in his home at 5511 NW Martin Road, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
The search was Wednesday, the same day an unknown amount of rock cocaine and marijuana was seized from a home at 803 South A Street in Moses Lake following a six-month investigation.
Valinda G. Otis, 28, and Tommy C. Stokes, 23, of Moses Lake, face charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Both raids were conducted by an inter-agency narcotics team made up of officers from Moses Lake, Quincy, Ephrata, Washington State Patrol, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Spokane7

J4ke on March 04 at 10:57 a.m.
Great idea cops! Lets bust all the local marijuana growers that way instead of financing a 56 year old guy, who is probably harmless, the marijuana users now finance the Mexican drug cartel, extortion, fraud, prostitution, killing, and actual drugs you can die from…