SANDPOINT — Two Cocolalla men are facing marijuana trafficking charges after an indoor growing operation was discovered on property they were renting.

Arthur Eugene Higgins and Philip John Hyde are awaiting preliminary hearings in Bonner County Magistrate Court.

Hyde, 64, is free on $20,000 bail and Higgins is being held at the Bonner County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail, court records show. Higgins, 62, made an initial appearance in magistrate court on Thursday and a public defender was appointed to represent him.

The growing operation was discovered on Nov. 29, 2016, at 10 Steep Lane on the west side of Cocolalla Lake. A Bonner County sheriff’s detective was viewing posts on the Sandpoint Yard Sale Facebook page for leads on stolen property, according to court documents. One post offered chainsaws, cement mixers, a shed and other miscellaneous property, prompting Det. Clint Mattingley to go to the Steep Lane address to investigate.

While on the property, Mattingley noted that there was a shed without a door which contained shielding for grow lights. There were also stripped marijuana stems in a garbage pile and the distinct odor of pot, according to a probable cause affidavit.

A search warrant was issued for the property, which led to the discovery of 108 mature pot plants, another 70 immature pot plants, nearly 2 ounces of dried marijuana. The plants were being grown hydroponically, court records indicate.

Investigators also obtained utility records for the property which showed costly electricity bills dating as far back as 2009, an indication that the growing operation has been ongoing for an extended period of time, according to court documents.