Kenneth Turbe, age 42, was arrested in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on July 23 in connection with a marijuana grow operation on his property, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper on July 24.
Turbe faces charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance under federal law. According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Administration agents obtained search warrants for Turbe’s iCloud account and residence as part of the investigation. The iCloud account reportedly contained photos showing vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, marijuana plants, large black planter pots containing marijuana plants, and bags of marijuana inside a safe.
Following the arrest, agents seized over 100 suspected marijuana plants from Turbe’s property, including 40 that had been recently harvested. The Drug Enforcement Administration is leading the investigation into the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik C. Tate from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands is prosecuting.
A criminal complaint is described as merely an allegation at this stage; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The United States Attorney for the District of Virgin Islands operates throughout St. Thomas and St. Croix with facilities across the territory and works collaboratively with federal, territorial and local law enforcement agencies to support task forces and crime prevention programs through its operational reach across all islands within its jurisdiction, according to the official website.