Upper Peninsula man arrested after his daughter showed up for school with odor of marijuana on her clothes. MARQUETTE, MI – A Dickinson man faces a possible prison sentence after his 6-year-old daughter showed up to school reeking of marijuana, records show.
Randall Raymond Fieck Jr., on Thursday, Oct. 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Marquette to manufacturing 50 or more marijuana plants. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Fieck came to the attention of authorities Jan. 29 after his daughter showed up for kindergarten at Woodland Elementary School in Kingsford “with a strong odor of marijuana on her clothing,” Kingsford Public Safety Sgt. Joseph Menghini said in a criminal complaint.
The principal said the girl told her teacher that her father “was growing marijuana plants in the basement of their residence and that she was not supposed to tell anyone,” the sergeant wrote.
Police went to Fieck’s home around 2:15 p.m.
Fieck answered the door. Menghini said he “immediately detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from within the residence.”
While they spoke, Fieck stepped outside and refused to allow police to enter to talk to him. When police asked about the marijuana odor, Fieck told them he had a medical marijuana caregiver’s card that allowed him to grow marijuana for others, police said in court records.
Fieck would not say how many plants he was growing and would not allow police to inspect the plants inside his home.
Menghini told Fieck he would obtain a search warrant, which he did. Police secured the residence and would not let Fieck return.
Around 2:35 p.m., Fieck told police he was leaving, then drove away. He did not return while police executed a search warrant.
Police later learned Fieck took his daughter out of school early.
Menghini said police found 207 marijuana plants along with 60 starter clones. He also found three pounds of processed marijuana. The amount would exceed that allowed under the state’s medical marijuana law.
Fieck had a high-tech growing system that covered two rooms in the basement and two rooms on the second floor. High-intensity grow lights in the basement were mounted on rails and moved along tracks to provide equal light to all plants.
Police found large quantities of liquid fertilizer, potting soil, high-capacity air filters, water filters, grow lights, timers and other electrical equipment.
Only Fieck and his daughter lived in the house. Police later learned that Fieck and his daughter moved to Wisconsin.
He will be sentenced March 2.
John Agar covers crime for MLive/Grand Rapids Press E-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterJAgar
Marijuana odor on kindergartner's clothes leads to dad's grow operation, police say
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