PORTLAND, Maine — A Massachusetts man arrested in August 2012 for allegedly growing marijuana in Limerick is free on bail after pleading not guilty to charges in U.S. District Court.
Jay Dandreo, 52, of Lynn, Mass., pleaded not guilty Feb. 27 to one count each of possession with the intent to manufacture and distribute marijuana and failure to pay more than $10,000 in child support between May 2004 and November 2013.
Information about the status of pending state charges was not available Wednesday.
Dandreo was released Tuesday on $5,000 unsecured bail. Conditions include his living under house arrest in Vero Beach, Fla., according to court documents.
A trial date has not been set.
Maine Drug Enforcement Agency officials raided the Limerick marijuana grow on Aug. 23, 2012, according to a previously published report. Agents discovered the marijuana behind a cabin and barn on the property, but Dandreo fled into the woods when agents arrived. A loaded shotgun and three other unloaded guns were found in the cabin.
Agents seized 183 fully grown plants from the property, Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety said at the time. The plants ranged from 3 to 6 feet high and were valued at $275,000.
If convicted, Dandreo faces between five and 40 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $5 million on the drug charge. He faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for failing to pay child support, if convicted.