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Helicopter Spots Marijuana, One Arrested

 Dave Wax  Taren Reed     Created: 10/8/2009 4:48:28 PM    Updated: 10/8/2009 4:56:46 PM
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BRADFORD COUNTY, FL -- A drug bust that began in the air wound up netting charges related to stolen firearms.

According to the Bradford County Sheriff's Office, the BUSTED unit and the Florida Air National Guard's Counter Drug Unit were working together when they found marijuana growing in a back yard in Starke.

The helicopter unit guided deputies on the ground to the house, and they confirmed a two-foot tall marijuana plant was growing there.

Investigators determined the plant belongs to the son of the woman who owns the home.

During the investigation, agents also found two stolen firearms, a shotgun and a handgun.

The shotgun, a .12 gauge, was reported stolen in Union County in 1995, and the handgun, a 9 mm, was stolen in Bradford County in 2005, according to the BCSO.

As a result of the anti-drug effort, Maurice Doniel Hankerson, 29, now faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, dealing in stolen property, possession of marijuana and cultivation of marijuana.

He is being held without bond.

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