Wyoming Authorities Bust Man With Guns, 80 Marijuana Plants
A Utah man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly greeting officers with a loaded shotgun, with investigators later finding other firearms and some 80 marijuana plants throughout his home.
Brian Olsen, 31, was arrested in Reliance after Sweetwater County Sheriff's deputies and detectives went to his home to arrest him for allegedly brandishing a gun during a recent road rage incident.
When officers arrived at Olsen's home, Olsen answered the door holding a loaded shotgun, the sheriff's office says. After a brief argument, Olsen surrendered the gun and was arrested on a warrant.
No shots were fired, and no one was injured during the encounter.
Detectives assigned to Sweetwater County Sheriff Mike Lowell's specialized Narcotics and Arrest Group investigated and learned that Olsen was likely involved in illegal drug activity.
Officers got a search warrant for Olsen's home, where they allegedly found multiple guns and a "sizeable" marijuana grow operation which included roughly 80 pot plants in various stages of growth throughout Olsen's home.
Olsen is currently being held on the warrant, as well as charges of possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent, reckless endangering, interference, felony marijuana possession, possession with intent to deliver and cultivation.
The sheriff's office says that under federal law, a drug user in possession of a firearm is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. Olsen would also face substantial prison time if convicted of the three felony charges and three misdemeanors for which he was arrested.
Lowell, in a statement, recognized his officers for "outstanding work in peacefully deescalating this tense situation."