Creston residents plead innocent to marijuana charges

A man and a woman pleaded not guilty Thursday in Flathead District Court to felony charges of manufacturing dangerous drugs.

Rachael Clarke and Timothy Standiford were charged after an apparent marijuana grow operation was located on the Creston property where a 7-year-old girl was attacked by four American bulldogs on Dec. 31, 2011.

The father of the girl, Jonathon Banonis, also was charged but he has not yet appeared in court.

When deputies responded following the dog attack, they met Standiford and Clarke, who had brought the girl to Creston School.

According to court documents, Standiford initially refused to share the location of the attack before apologizing for lying and taking deputies to his and Clarke’s Riverside Road home.

While investigating, deputies and animal control officers noticed a strong smell of fresh marijuana coming from a detached shop on the property. After obtaining a search warrant, members of the Northwest Drug Task Force found 71 marijuana plants, dried marijuana, grow lights and a digital scale.

During interviews, the girl said she and Clarke had been in the shop prior to the attack.

It was later discovered that Banonis was leasing the property and had sub-leased it to Standiford and Clarke while he was living in Red Lodge. All three moved to Montana together from North Carolina and had known each other for many years.

Each of the three face a single charge for manufacturing the drug and face a sentence of between two years and life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 if convicted.