Man imprisoned for meth trafficking, unlawful firearm possession

COEUR d’ALENE — A man with multiple prior felony convictions will spend up to 20 years in prison after police located numerous firearms and drugs in his residence, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

Daniel P. Grove, 55, of Coeur d’Alene, pleaded guilty in July to trafficking in methamphetamine and 14 counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. 

First District Judge Regina McCrea sentenced Grove last week to 20 years in prison with parole eligibility after 10 years. 

The charges stem from last October, when police were investigating a report of a stolen trail camera. The camera continued to transmit photos and GPS locations, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, leading police to a residence on 15th Street in Coeur d’Alene. 

Multiple agencies responded to the residence. A search of the place yielded the trail camera, more than two pounds of methamphetamine and firearms that were found behind the headboard and beneath the mattress of Grove’s bed, as well as inside a closet and large bag. 

Police said the methamphetamine was located in a safe, in a false book and in hidden compartments throughout the residence. Law enforcement also found “patches and other items indicating Grove was or had been a member of an outlaw motorcycle club,” according to the prosecutor’s office. 

Grove’s firearm rights were suspended due to multiple felony convictions. Because he was previously convicted of three prior felony offenses, he faced a persistent violator enhancement that mandates a prison sentence of at least five years. 

Prosecutors said Grove’s criminal history spans more than 30 years and includes convictions for resisting/obstructing officers, malicious injury to property, violation of a no contact order, theft, residential burglary and assault on a police officer.