Nelson man grew pot along river, police say

A Lovingston man was arrested this week on the banks of the Rockfish River, where police say he was paddling his kayak to tend to a marijuana garden.

Steven C. Manning, 64, was charged with one count of manufacturing marijuana, said Sgt. David Cooper of the Virginia State Police. The crime is punishable by five to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Authorities arrested Manning on Tuesday on the Rockfish River near Woods Mills. The marijuana garden had 104 plants that were about 3 feet tall, in the early stages of growth, Cooper said.

“He was accessing the marijuana patch by coming down the Rockfish River and entering the land by kayak,” Cooper said.

After his arrest, police searched Manning’s house and found a small amount of what is believed to be marijuana and several smoking devices, Cooper said.

Manning had been arrested on similar charges five years ago, Cooper said.

The kayak was seized in the arrest, which was the result of a three-week drug investigation by special agent R.K. Kincaid of the state police’s drug enforcement section, with the help of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office.