THE STAR PRESS WINCHESTER - A Winchester dentist arrested last June after state police raided his home has been sentenced to five years in federal prison. Paul Steven Welch, 51, had been charged in U.S. District Court with manufacturing a controlled substance and unlawful possession of unregistered firearms. According to federal court records, Welch struck a plea bargain with U.S. attorneys in late August, entered a guilty plea on Sept. 14 and was sentenced last Friday by U.S. District Court Judge John Tinder. Claudia Cummings, an official with the U.S. Attorney's office in Indianapolis, said Wednesday that Welch was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $250. Upon his release from prison, the dentist will be on probation for four years. Welch and his 18-year-old son, Alexander, were arrested June 7 after state police raided their home, at 5712 W. Randolph County Road 400-S, and reported finding an "elaborate" marijuana growing operation, including heating, cooling and irrigation systems for 200 plants. Investigators also said they found guns on the property. A tip received a week earlier resulted in an investigation and the ensuing raid, police said. Alexander Welch, who graduated from Winchester Community High School a week before the raid, was charged with drug-related crimes in Randolph Circuit Court. Court records indicate the younger Welch pleaded guilty to maintaining a common nuisance, a class D felony carrying a standard 18-month sentence, on Oct. 28. Details of his sentence were not included on the records, but the documents appear to reflect that the teenager was placed on probation. Randolph County Prosecutor David Daly could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Link to article: http://www.thestarpress.com/articles/3/031286-5103-004.html related article: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/4002389/detail.html