It was announced today by the Department of Justice that 20-year-old Nathanael Harshman of Fairbanks was sentenced for his part in a large Marijuana grow operation that was uncovered in January of 2012.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline sentenced Harshman to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.

Harshman was one of several people that were indicted by a grand Jury in January of 2012 on charges of Conspiracy, Manufacturing Marijuana, and related firearms offenses. The other indictees were Floyd Everett Harshman, 53, Mystiek Lockery, 46, and Jonathan Butterfield, 22. The four were indicted after the discovery of two grow operations in Fairbanks.

A larger indictement followed in march as the extent of the grow operation was finally known as the investigation grew.

Harshman pled guilty to Conspiracy and a count of manufaturing Marijuana.

The judge found that Harshman had participated in cultivating more than 1,000 marijuana plants grown for sale. He also found that Harshman had possessed handguns and ammunition in connection with the commercial operation.