Carson City code check leads to discovery of tunnel, bunker and marijuana grow operation

A Carson City code enforcement check on property that was to be condemned led to the discovery Wednesday of an underground bunker, marijuana grow operation and the arrest of a 68-year-old man.

William Walter Dickens, listed as a transient, was booked for felony suspicion of conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act and two misdemeanor offenses: violation of marijuana cultivation laws and a department of alternative sentencing violation.

According to the arrest report, a deputy with the Carson City Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Team was sent to the area of North Deer Road Road after a code enforcement officer alerted to a tunnel and possible marijuana operation.

The initial call originated from Carson City animal control on a report of abandoned animals and animals that were being removed from the property.

The property resembles a junkyard with more than 20 abandoned vehicles, a 30-foot RV, two Connex boxes, a trailer, two sheds and several animal cages. Suspect Dickens, it was learned, had been occupying the RV.

During the code enforcement check, an officer located a shed with several bags, a large water pump, electrical wiring and a powered fan. The power and water lines appeared to go down into a tunnel entrance, approximately 10 to 15 feet underground. It also appeared that some kind of vessel was buried underground, the arrest report states.

The Carson City Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Team deputy responded to assist the code enforcement officer on the property where law enforcement found several bags of fertilizer, around 15 one-gallon water containers, a fertilizer sprayer and soil.

Based on the SET deputy's training and experience, these were part of an active indoor marijuana operation, according to the report. Officers could smell an odor of marijuana on the property. Based on the nature of a bunker under a shed, deputies suspected the marijuana grow was within the underground bunker.

The SET deputy applied for and received a search warrant to search the Connex boxes, trailer and bunker. Because of OSHA requirements and regulations regarding entering confined spaces, the Carson City Fire Department was called to assist with technical rescue equipment to safely enter the space.

A confined entry permit was issued by a battalion chief and a safety plan was established, allowing SET deputies to make two entries into the bunker, the arrest report states.

According to the arrest report, the bunker was approximately 30 feet long and 10 feet wide. There was a 110-watt conduit installed on the walls with approximately 8 outlets. There were electrical ballasts and lighting plugged into those outlets. The lights were attached to pulleys which can raise and lower the lighting system.

There was fertilizer and approximately 20 empty bags of soil on the ground along with 10 large Tupperware containers, which had drain holes drilled into the bottom.

The bottom of the bunker had water drainage, which extended the length of the structure. There were water hoses that came into the bunker from the surface, according to the report. There were aluminum air vents from the surface to the vessel, the report states.

Based on the items observed by the deputies, it was determined a marijuana grow operation. Based on the size of the containers and quantity it appeared to be a 20-30 plant grow. Each plant yields a minimum of 3 ounces of marijuana per harvest, resulting in 60 to 90 ounces of bud marijuana in one harvest cycle. Based on the height of the ballast above the plant containers, there was only enough room for a grower to cultivate a two-stage operation, which can be harvested every 60 days, the report states.

As officers were preparing to enter the bunker, suspect William Dickens arrived in his vehicle. He had marijuana in his vehicle and water/fertilizer containers in the back seat of his vehicle. He is the only person living on the property. He was asked about the grow, which Dickens refused knowledge.

The owner of the property responded to the scene and admitted to knowledge of the operation on the property. He was provided with a copy of the warrant and evidence seizure. Dickens was taken into custody for suspicion of cultivation of marijuana. Bail: $20,000 and $1,000 cash bail for a DAS violation.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.