FORT WAYNE – An Auburn man was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for growing marijuana.

62-year-old Jeffrey Gaunt was arrested after the Indiana State Police Marijuana Eradication Team flew over his residence and saw Gaunt pulling up suspected marijuana plants and attempting to flee.

The chopper landed and officer detained Gaunt. Under a search warrant officers found 177 rooted marijuana plants and 60 non-rooted clones, along with sealed packages of marijuana, firearms, and items consistent with a marijuana grow operation.

U-S District Court Judge Holly Brady also sentenced Gaunt to 4-years of supervised probation after his release from prison.