Morris County prosecutors are suing in order to be granted legal possession of a vehicle and cash seized during a drug raid in Rockaway Township, New Jersey. The raid netted cash and property from a home allegedly being used to manufacture and distribute marijuana.
The drug raid occurred at a house in Rockaway Township on October 27, 2015. Rockaway Township detectives went to the residence, located on Pasha Court in Rockaway, NJ, after receiving a report of a theft. The report came from Jersey Central Power & Light, which indicated that someone at the home was stealing electricity.
A Rockaway NJ detective stood outside the house and reportedly noticed that the basement windows had a dark tint, as well as heating and cooling system situated in the rear of the home. The police officer also detected the odor of raw marijuana.
Rockaway police later obtained a search warrant and raided the home.
During the raid, police officers reportedly seized a Ford van, nearly $1,400 in cash, four televisions, and 64 marijuana plants.
Police arrested three people at the residence. The suspects included a 29-year-old man from Yonkers, New York, a 45-year-old woman from Yonkers, NY, and a 44-year-old man from Homestead, Florida. It is believed that none of the suspects actually owned the home.
All three suspects were charged with a number of drug crimes, including maintaining or operating a marijuana production facility, conspiracy to maintain or operate a marijuana production facility, manufacturing 50 or more marijuana plants, and conspiracy to manufacture 50 or more marijuana plants. Additionally, one of the suspects was charged with being the leader of a narcotics trafficking network.
Now the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a lawsuit in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown, NJ. Prosecutors are asking the superior court judge to eliminate the suspects’ rights to the property and the money that was seized.
Morris County NJ prosecutors have argued that the property can be turned over to the state because it was used in illegal activity, while the cash allegedly represented the proceeds of the suspects’ illegal drug activity.
For additional information about this case, go to the DailyRecord.com article, “Lawsuit: 64 Pot Plants Found in Rockaway Twp. House.”
