KINGWOOD – A Hazelton man was placed on two years probation as part of a plea agreement in Preston Circuit Court Tuesday.
Thomas Joseph Kirk III pleaded guilty to manufacturing a schedule 1 controlled substance.
The sentence for manufacturing of a schedule 1 controlled substance is one to five years in prison or a $15,000 fine or both. If Kirk completes the two years probation he can plead guilty to the lesser charge of possession of a controlled substance, and the felony will be dismissed.
Senior Status Judge Lawrance Miller Jr. said he was accepting the deferred adjudication because the prosecutor and sheriff’s office approved it.
Police arrested Kirk in June 2017 after a tip led them to a 12-foot-by-24-foot building on Elk Run Road, Bruceton, that was fitted with climate control, fans and adjustable lights. Police said marijuana was being grown in the building. They confiscated 48 plants.
Miller reminded Kirk if he does not follow the rules set for his probation he could be sent to prison. Kirk was also ordered to pay court costs and a community corrections and supervision fee.
