Drugs valued at more than $1 million found in Fairbanks home, troopers say

Mar. 25—Law enforcement officers found what they say was more than $1 million worth of drugs in a Fairbanks man's home when they executed a search warrant last week, according to criminal charges filed in the case.

Kevin Shank, 46, was arrested by the Fairbanks Areawide Narcotics Team and the Fairbanks Criminal Suppression Unit on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers say. Shank is facing 14 felony charges of varying degrees of misconduct involving controlled substances and weapons.

The arrest was the culmination of an investigation over several months, troopers said.

While searching Shank's home, the officers seized nearly 25 pounds of methamphetamine, 5 pounds of counterfeit fentanyl pills, more than 2 pounds of fentanyl powder and cocaine, 30 grams of heroin, several strips of suboxone, and a jar of Xanax pills, troopers said. Authorities say counterfeit pills look like other prescription opioids such as oxycodone but contain fentanyl, making them more potent and dangerous.

In total, the drugs were worth at least just over $1 million, troopers said.

The drug seizure was the largest in the Fairbanks area in the last two years or so, said Daron Cooper, deputy commander of the Department of Public Safety's statewide drug enforcement unit, which works with federal and municipal agencies on drug and alcohol investigations.

Officers also found about $300,000 in cash, seven guns and two silencers that appeared to be homemade, according to a summary of a police report written by Assistant Attorney General Lindsay Ingaldson and filed with charges.

Shank was taken into custody last week after his girlfriend was arrested on outstanding warrants while driving his pickup, according to troopers spokesman Justin Freeman. Shank was arrested when he went to retrieve the truck, Freeman said.

During an interview, Shank told officers that his only source of income was about $2,000 a week in winnings from an illegal gambling operation — an income that wouldn't account for the cash seized last week or a cabin he bought, according to the police report summary.

Shank was in custody Monday morning at the Fairbanks Correctional Center on bail set last week at $3 million.