Police

Cops: Manorville man operated underground marijuana farm

A monthslong investigation by the Suffolk sheriff’s office uncovered a hidden marijuana operation in Manorville that resulted in one arrest.

Officials recovered more than 100 marijuana plants in addition to previously harvested marijuana in various stages of the drying process prior to packing for sale, according to police. The harvested marijuana totaled more than 30 pounds.

An informant tipped off police to the operation on Old School House Road. The entire operation was concealed on a wooded lot where the marijuana was grown in an underground room which was covered by a utility storage building, police said.

Police arrested Donald Guichard, 57, of Manorville after executing a search warrant on Sept. 19. He was charged with multiple felonies including first-degree sale of marijuana and criminal possession of a weapon. He’s facing a total of 13 charges, according to online court records. He his currently being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.

The initial tip provided to the Sheriff investigators was corroborated by a detective from the Northport Village Police Department, police said. Sheriff investigators conducted surveillance with the assistance of Northport Village police.

Mr. Guichard is due back in court Friday.

He was charged in 2012 with a felony for criminal possession of marijuana and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted criminal possession of marijuana, which is also a felony, according to court records. He has another court case pending related to a 2014 arrest for drunken driving. He is due in court Oct. 19 for that case for a bench trial, according to court records.

Photo caption: Marijuana plants recovered by police. (Credit: Suffolk sheriff’s office)

WITH JEN NUZZO

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