Residents complained to police about excessive foot traffic at all hours at East State Street business, prosecutors said
TRENTON -- Complaints from numerous residents that Ed "NJ Weedman" Forchion was selling marijuana out of his East State Street restaurant and "cannabis church" led to Wednesday's raid and the arrest of nearly a dozen people on drug charges, authorities said.
Ed Forchion, police photo. The Mercer County Narcotics Task Force concluded a two-month investigation into alleged marijuana sales at Forchion's restaurant, NJ Wedman's Joint, and his Liberty Bell Temple next door, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.
Police received complaints from "multiple sources" that Forchion was distributing marijuana and that there was "constant foot traffic in and out of the establishment at all hours,'' prosecutors said.
In past interviews, Forchion has said his Joint is a restaurant, but customers can smoke marijuana there, and in his temple next door.
Forchion envisioned the restaurant's rear garden as a performance venue, and a place for medical marijuana patients to light up.
"I invite all of them to come here when they come to Trenton, have something good to eat and utilize the facilities to consume their medicine," Forchion said of the state'e registered medical marijuana users when he opened last summer.
The 51-year-old was among those arrested in the sweep that charged 11 people with drug possession or distribution offenses and outstanding warrants, prosecutors said.
Forchion, who was being held Thursday in lieu of $70,000 bail at the Trenton police lockup, was charged with 13 counts of marijuana possession and distribution offenses, having a fortified premises, two counts of paraphernalia possession and maintaining a narcotics nuisance, prosecutors said.
Nine others were arrested during the 3:30 p.m. raid on the restaurant and sanctuary. Another suspect was arrested and charged with minor marijuana possession during a second raid on a house on South Olden Avenue in Hamilton, prosecutors said.
'NJ Weedman' facing pot charges, 9 others arrested at Joint
During the East State Street raid police seized:
- 56 grams of marijuana and 32 grams of edible marijuana candy found in the sanctuary, along with $85 in a jar that read, "Nothing is free donate."
- More than a pound of marijuana butter, found in the kitchen.
- 10 grams of marijuana and a large amount of drug paraphernalia found in an additional private shop area.
- 1,055 grams of marijuana, five grams of hashish, five ounces of promethazine, scales, $60 in cash and packaging materials found in the office.
- 28 grams of marijuana from the backyard.
Prosecutors estimated the street value of the seized drugs at $19,270.
Police also took a Toyota Matrix and two other vehicles from the scene, along with $330 found on Forchion when he was detained.
In the Hamilton raid police seized 7 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Sharon Shelton, 52, was charged with minor marijuana and paraphernalia possession, prosecutors said.
Tomas Geronmino, 27, was charged with three counts of marijuana distribution, one count of marijuana possession and an outstanding Trenton warrant, police said.
Shawn Hurley, 45, was charged with one count of heroin possession after police saw him throw a deck of heroin off the roof of of the building during the raid, prosecutors said.
Trenton residents Nhuygel Green, 52; Gregory Peterson, 20; Philippe Dume, 28; Alfonso Clark, 35; Brian Jones, 46; Roderick McKinney, 39, and Timothy Williams, 27 each were arrested and charged with outstanding warrants.
Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.