Three people have been arrested in connection with a months-long investigation into a Soldotna tobacco shop.
In October, Alaska State Troopers’ Soldotna office began the investigation into an allegation that Tobacco Distress was selling spice, also known as synthetic cannabis.
More than 500 suspected spice packets were seized and sent to the state crime lab for testing, according to an online AST dispatch.
“As a result of the testing, 146 of those packets were found to contain chemicals controlled under Alaska Statutes,” the dispatch states.
On Wednesday, authorities served search warrants to the residence of the shop’s owners, Phillip and Loren Kneeland, both of Soldotna, which resulted in more than 6,000 packets of spice being seized.
Phillip, 33, was arrested on drug and weapons misconduct charges and remanded to Wildwood Pretrial Facility. Troopers say Loren, 26, was arrested and remanded to Wildwood Pretrial on a weapons misconduct charge. Another person, 27-year-old William Dooley, was also arrested Thursday on drug and weapons misconduct charges in connection to the investigation, AST says.
Troopers say the investigation is ongoing.
