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FARMINGTON — The man accused of driving his pickup truck up the stairs of the Utah Capitol in an apparent effort to promote marijuana use was charged Monday with drug-related crimes.
Weston Gerold Green, 36, was charged in 2nd District Court with drug distribution and drug possession, both second-degree felonies; child endangerment, a third-degree felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor.
On Oct. 22, police say Green drove his pickup truck up the west stairs of the Capitol, walked into the building and pounded on the doors of the old Utah Supreme Court room. Because he resisted arrest and assaulted a trooper in the process, Capitol security forcefully took him to the ground while arresting him.
"During the altercation with the trooper, (Green) was hit once in the mouth," according to the charges.
Green was taken to a local hospital. When investigators interviewed him, he told them "he went to the Capitol to advocate for the legalization of marijuana," charges state.
Investigators later served a search warrant on Green's Layton home, 847 Poplar Circle.
"Officers found the defendant's hydroponic marijuana grow in a hidden room in his basement. Officers located 18 marijuana plants, a network of pipes, gardening tools and supplies, heat lamps, heat reflectors, filters, pumps, a vacuum sealer, and other paraphernalia. In addition to the 18 plants, officers found over 5 pounds of processed marijuana ready for packaging," according to court documents.
In the room with the vacuum sealer and some marijuana, detectives also found toys belonging to Green's young child. Green is divorced and his son stayed with him part time at the time of his arrest.
Green was charged Nov. 21 in Salt Lake Justice Court with driving with a measurable controlled substance in his body, a class B misdemeanor, on the day he went to the Capitol.
