Tenant Gets 12 Years For Operating Indoor Pot Farm From Basement Of Rented Home

From the Office of the Monmouth County, New Jersey Prosecutor:

• On April 12, 2010, Michael Papazoglou, 30, of Freehold Township, N.J., was sentenced to a 12 year State Prison term for the first degree crime of Maintaining or Operating a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility. The charge stems from the November 18, 2008, arrest of Papazoglou and four others at Papazoglou’s rented Freehold residence.

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• The investigation revealed that Papazoglou had been growing the marijuana plants in the basement of the residence, that a decision had been made to move the marijuana plants elsewhere, and that Wheeler and Farmer were responsible for transporting the marijuana plants to the new location. On the day of the arrests, Wheeler rented the UHaul truck and traveled to Freehold where he met with Farmer, Papazoglou and another, unidentified man. The four men then loaded the marijuana plants and growing equipment into the U-Haul truck so that the production operation could be resumed at a different location.

For the Monmouth County Prosecutor's press release, see Freehold Man Receives 12 Year Prison Term For Operating A Marijuana Production Facility.

(1) On December 7, 2009, Jeremy Wheeler, 30, of Tuftonboro, N.H., and Jamil Farmer,26, of New York City, N.Y., also appeared before Judge Reisner and entered guilty pleas to second degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance With Intent to Distribute. On February 19, 2009, Wheeler was sentenced to a six year State Prison term. On January 29, 2009, Farmer was sentenced to a five year State Prison term. Based upon the factual bases provided by Papazoglou, Wheeler and Farmer during the entry of their guilty pleas, related charges against Stephanie Federico, 19, of Hoboken, N.J., and Alysson Woolley, 25, of Long Branch, N.J., which were contained in the same indictment were dismissed. marijuana grow house