Press Release
Anchorage Man Convicted of Vehicle Theft and Burglary of Commercial Marijuana Grow in Two Separate Trials
October 31, 2018
(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) On October 31, 2018, an Anchorage jury convicted Nicholas Philemonoff of first degree vehicle theft.
According to the evidence presented at trial, around 11:00 p.m. on October 11, 2017, Philemonoff was caught driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen earlier that morning. Philemonoff was driving away from an area where he and an associate had attempted to trade several tires for marijuana. When officers arrived on scene, they saw Philemonoff in the driver’s seat of the truck, using a screwdriver to operate the vehicle. Closer examination of the truck showed that the ignition was punched, the steering column was destroyed, and that the floorboard of the truck was littered with a screwdriver and other hand tools.
This is Philemenoff’s fourth felony conviction in the past month. On October 8, 2018, a different Anchorage jury convicted Philemenoff of theft in the first degree, burglary in the second degree, and criminal mischief in the third degree, in a different case. Evidence presented in that trial showed that Philemonoff broke into a building that housed a commercial marijuana grow, damaged property inside the building, and stole more than $25,000 worth of marijuana.
Superior Court Judge Erin Marston, who presided over both trials, scheduled Philemonoff’s sentencing for February 5, 2018, in both cases.
Philemonoff is facing additional charges of bribery of a public servant, assault in the fourth degree, witness tampering, and resisting arrest in a St. Paul case. The St. Paul case is currently scheduled for trial on January 7, 2019.
CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney Mackenzie Olson at (907) 269-6384 or Mackenzie.olson@alaska.gov; or Assistant District Attorney Dan Shorey at (907) 269-6369 or dan.shorey@alaska.gov.
More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.