FruityBud
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A Bedminster man could lose his freedom - and his house - after mistakenly dialing 911. He was trying to call Jamaica, not the cops.
Rickardo Thomas might have said that and a few more colorful words after he accidentally called 911, bringing police to his rural Bedminster home where they discovered more than 17 pounds of marijuana.
Now, Thomas's home is being seized by authorities and he's facing prison time for possessing a haul of pot with a street value of as much as $42,300.
"He picked up the phone to make a call; he ended up getting a lot more," said Bucks County District Attorney Michelle Henry.
Thomas, 50, of the 500 block of Kellers Church Road, pleaded guilty to drug-dealing charges in late January. His wife, Sylvia Hayes, 58, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with the bust, authorities say. Both are scheduled to be sentenced in April.
According to police, Thomas intended to dial Jamaica when he picked up the phone on July 15 around 7:30 p.m. Instead, he accidentally dialed 911.
To call Jamaica from the United States, one has to dial 011 plus the 876 area code; it seems Thomas was a number off on the first three digits. When he realized that, he hung up and completed the call he intended.
Meanwhile, an emergency dispatcher sent an officer to Thomas' home because of the dropped 911 call. When the officer arrived, he didn't find an emergency, but he did find a lot of marijuana.
"He first smelled a strong odor of marijuana and then he noticed marijuana plants growing on the deck around the back of the house," said Sgt. Brian Pfaff of Bedminster police.
Authorities then obtained a search warrant for Thomas' home. According to Pfaff, they seized 103 live marijuana plants that were in various stages of growth.
They found 88 separate packages of processed marijuana and 11 pot plants that were cut and hung up to dry. The plant is dried before it is packaged for sale.
Drug paraphernalia, including packages, scales and special lights used for growing pot, were recovered from Thomas' house, police said.
In all, police seized 282 ounces of marijuana, or just over 17.5 pounds. Pfaff said an ounce has a street value of between $120 and $150. On the high end, the dope was worth $42,300; on the low end, $33,840.
Thomas' property will be seized as a drug forfeiture and auctioned off, Henry said. An auction date has not been scheduled.
"It happens in really rural townships sometimes that people have a comfort level with growing marijuana on their properties where they think no one is going to look in on them," Pfaff said. "We've had several large illegal grows in woods and fields, but it's uncommon for this much to be found in a house."
hxxp://tinyurl.com/d9xabh
Rickardo Thomas might have said that and a few more colorful words after he accidentally called 911, bringing police to his rural Bedminster home where they discovered more than 17 pounds of marijuana.
Now, Thomas's home is being seized by authorities and he's facing prison time for possessing a haul of pot with a street value of as much as $42,300.
"He picked up the phone to make a call; he ended up getting a lot more," said Bucks County District Attorney Michelle Henry.
Thomas, 50, of the 500 block of Kellers Church Road, pleaded guilty to drug-dealing charges in late January. His wife, Sylvia Hayes, 58, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with the bust, authorities say. Both are scheduled to be sentenced in April.
According to police, Thomas intended to dial Jamaica when he picked up the phone on July 15 around 7:30 p.m. Instead, he accidentally dialed 911.
To call Jamaica from the United States, one has to dial 011 plus the 876 area code; it seems Thomas was a number off on the first three digits. When he realized that, he hung up and completed the call he intended.
Meanwhile, an emergency dispatcher sent an officer to Thomas' home because of the dropped 911 call. When the officer arrived, he didn't find an emergency, but he did find a lot of marijuana.
"He first smelled a strong odor of marijuana and then he noticed marijuana plants growing on the deck around the back of the house," said Sgt. Brian Pfaff of Bedminster police.
Authorities then obtained a search warrant for Thomas' home. According to Pfaff, they seized 103 live marijuana plants that were in various stages of growth.
They found 88 separate packages of processed marijuana and 11 pot plants that were cut and hung up to dry. The plant is dried before it is packaged for sale.
Drug paraphernalia, including packages, scales and special lights used for growing pot, were recovered from Thomas' house, police said.
In all, police seized 282 ounces of marijuana, or just over 17.5 pounds. Pfaff said an ounce has a street value of between $120 and $150. On the high end, the dope was worth $42,300; on the low end, $33,840.
Thomas' property will be seized as a drug forfeiture and auctioned off, Henry said. An auction date has not been scheduled.
"It happens in really rural townships sometimes that people have a comfort level with growing marijuana on their properties where they think no one is going to look in on them," Pfaff said. "We've had several large illegal grows in woods and fields, but it's uncommon for this much to be found in a house."
hxxp://tinyurl.com/d9xabh
