Trio charged with operating marijuana production facility
Suspects were arrested at a Freehold Twp. home
On June 18, a Monmouth County grand jury returned a nine-count indictment charging three men with the first degree crime of maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) production facility. The indictment also charges the three men, and two women, with other marijuana possession and distribution related offenses.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, the indictment charges Michael Papazoglou, 29, of Freehold Township, Jamil Farmer, 25, of New York, N.Y., and Jeremy Wheeler, 28, of Tuftonboro, N.H., each with one count of first-degree maintaining or operating a CDS production facility, two counts of first-degree possession of a CDS with intent to distribute, one count of second-degree conspiracy to distribute a CDS, and two counts of fourth-degree possession of a CDS.

Farmer is also charged in additional counts with third-degree possession of a CDS with intent to distribute, and fourthdegree possession of a CDS.

Stephanie Federico, 18, of Hoboken, is charged with one count of third-degree possession of a CDS with intent to distribute and one count of fourth-degree possession of a CDS. Alysson Woolley, 24, of Long Branch, is charged with one count of fourth-degree possession of a CDS.

According to the prosecutor's office, on Nov. 18, 2008, the Freehold Township Police Department received a report of a suspicious vehicle at a township residence. The residence was rented to Papazoglou. Upon arrival at Papazoglou's residence police officers observed a U-Haul truck parked in the driveway next to the residence. The rear lift door of the U-Haul was open, revealing numerous plants believed to be marijuana. Further investigation led to the arrests of the five individuals named in the indictment.

The prosecutor said a lawful search of the U-Haul truck yielded 99 marijuana plants together with equipment used to facilitate growing the plants, including an atmospheric controller and a reflector lamp. The prosecutor said a lawful search of the residence yielded an additional 63 marijuana plants at varying stages of growth, loose marijuana vegetation, additional growing lamps, a carbon dioxide generator, and other items commonly used in the cultivation, growing and processing of marijuana. Additional quantities of processed marijuana were found in a motor vehicle belonging to Farmer.

The investigation revealed that Papazoglou had been growing the marijuana plants in the basement of the township residence he rented. On the day of the arrests, Wheeler rented the U-Haul 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 UHaul so that the production operation could be relocated and resumed, according to the prosecutor.

Papazoglou, Farmer, Wheeler and Woolley were all inside the residence when police officers arrived. Federico was found inside of Farmer's vehicle parked away from the residence.

If convicted of first-degree maintaining or operating a CDS production facility, Papazoglou, Farmer and Wheeler will face a maximum potential custodial sentence of up to 20 years in state prison with a 10-year period of parole ineligibility. The seconddegree crimes carry a maximum potential custodial exposure of up to 10 years in state prison, the third-degree crimes carry a maximum potential custodial sentence of up to five years in state prison, and the fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum potential term of incarceration of up to 18 months.

Papazoglou and Wheeler are each being held at the Monmouth County jail in lieu of $400,000 bail. Farmer is being held at the Monmouth County jail in lieu of $310,000 bail. Woolley is free on $200,000 bail. Federico is free on $7,000 bail.

The next court proceeding for the defendants will be an arraignment, which is the formal presentation of the indictment to the defendants. The arraignment will be scheduled within the next 45 days before Superior Court Judge Ronald Lee Reisner, to whom the case has been assigned.