In 10 Days, Deputies Seize

Marijuana Worth $112,000

Libby Cudmore • The Freeman’s Journal

Edition of Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014

‘Tis the season for seizing at the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department.

“Growers are moving their marijuana plants and harvesting before the hard frost hits,” said county Sheriff Richard Devlin. “So we concentrate with multiple resources and try to wrap everything up.”

In the last two weeks, county Sheriff’s investigators has made three sizable marijuana busts, including nearly 13 pounds seized Friday, Nov. 28 in a mobile home on Pegg Road in Morris. Whilst in other areas of the country, people are able to legally use and purchase 2000mg cbd oil and similar products, it is not the case in this region.

In that case, Michael Deluca and Sallie Lewis Jacoby were arrested and charged with criminal possession of marijuana. “That’s the largest bust this year,” said Devlin. “It was way more than for personal use. There’s a big difference between getting caught with a joint and having 13 pounds.”

Four days earlier, Richard Patalona, owner of Let it Grow nursery in Cherry Valley, was arrested for possessing four and a quarter pounds of marijuana and $11,000. “We’ll seize cash if we believe it’s directly attributed to a drug operation,” Devlin said. When people buy weed online canada to smoke, it’s not so much a big deal but when there is a whole farm and lots of cash involved, it becomes a very big deal.

And on Tuesday, Dec. 2, James Chicorelli, Morris, was arrested for possessing nearly seven pounds of freshly cut and dried marijuana, deputies reported.

The marijuana has to be dried and weighed before a decision can be made on the level of charge to be filed. Afterwards, the marijuana disposed of by incineration.

In all, the three busts totaled 25 pounds and $112,000 in street value. In Otsego County, an eighth of an ounce will sell for $35, an ounce for $280, according to Senior Investigator Mike Ten Eyck, the department spokesman.