Fern Acres man faces 22 drug and firearm felony charges

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Officers arrested and charged a Mountain View man with 22 drug and firearms offenses after 27.2 pounds of marijuana, 222 marijuana plants, 14 firearms, and more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition, police said.

Loran Jeffrey Gross, 59, was taken into custody after detectives executed a search warrant on a Fern Acres home early Friday morning.

According to police, officers also found a methamphetamine smoking pipe and drug paraphernalia.

Gross, who has 10 prior felony convictions, was charged with three counts of first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana in the first degree, attempted first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana, methamphetamine possession, 14 counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition, and possessing a firearm in the commission of a of a felony drug offense.

His bail was set at $660,000, and his initial court appearance was set for this afternoon in Hilo District Court.