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CHARLESTON — Former S.C. Highway Patrol trooper Kurt Steffen had dreams of being a farmer while he worked as a state trooper.
But not just any kind of farmer — a marijuana farmer.
His
dreams were dashed Monday when a federal judge sentenced him to five
years in federal prison for manufacturing and possessing with intent to
distribute more than 100 marijuana plants.
“It’s a shame Steffen
chose to squander the good will that the good members of the S.C.
Highway Patrol have worked so hard to earn for the people of this
state,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles.
Evidence presented at his
sentencing hearing in Charleston before U.S. Judge Weston Houck showed
that Steffen — while employed as a trooper — was a key part of a
large-scale indoor marijuana operation.
After Steffen was hired by
the patrol in May 2007, he purchased 300 Stable Lane, a five-acre tract
of land in Ridgeville. A longtime friend introduced Steffen to people
in the marijuana-growing business, and that was how he got involved,
said assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Bianchi, who prosecuted the case.
Steffen then spent about $4,000 on fans and lights and other equipment needed to grow marijuana indoors, Bianchi said.
Steffen
and his pals began growing marijuana, having “multiple harvests” and
yielding “thousands of dollars worth of profit,” according to
prosecutors.
Steffen even used his patrol car to haul the pot,
prosecutors said. Moreover, when his associates began transporting
marijuana, Steffen used his trooper’s car to escort the smugglers,
prosecutors said.
A vital clue that led to the unraveling of
Steffen’s operation was the electric bill. A local power company worker
mentioned to a Dorchester County sheriff’s deputy one day he thought
someone might be stealing electricity from Steffen’s property because
the property seemed to use a lot of electricity.
Deputies visited
the property, smelled marijuana and executed a search warrant. That led
to the arrests of several of Steffen’s associates, some of whom were on
the farm at the time of the search.
The other break came out of a
Drug Enforcement Agency investigation into Lowcountry marijuana-growing
operations. Arrests in that case eventually led to Steffens, Bianchi
said.
Earlier this year, days before he was scheduled to go to
trial, Steffen pleaded guilty. His co-conspirators also have pleaded
guilty.
A statement from Patrol Col. Mike Oliver noted that Steffen resigned as a trooper in 2009 just before being charged.
“This
situation is not a reflection on the professionalism and service of the
men and women of the South Carolina Highway Patrol who dedicate
themselves each day to protecting and serving our state,” Oliver said.
As part of Steffen’s plea deal, the federal government is taking ownership of his farm and likely will sell it.
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