911 call leads police department to marijuana haul

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on December 26, 2008

A home invasion at an Amherst residence Saturday night led to the arrest of one of the residents for allegedly possessing close to $70,000 worth of pot, but the person who allegedly invaded the home armed with a handgun remains at large.

Michael Parker, 25, of 8 Charles Lane, was arrested Saturday at 7:14 p.m. at his home on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a class D substance, marijuana, police said.

Police gave the following account of the arrest:

Sgt. William Menard of the police detective bureau said officers were called by Parker, one of three residents who lives at the home, after he returned home to find a man wearing a mask and wielding a gun already inside. Parker fled, and the intruder also left, Menard said.

Meanwhile, when police arrived, they noticed indications that the home was being used for distribution of drugs, obtained a search warrant and entered the house for a search, Menard said.

Police say investigators seized more than 20 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value of between $3,000 and $3,500 per pound, as well as packaging materials also found in the home.

A second resident is expected to be charged with illegal drug possession, according to Menard.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

The incident follows two others in North Amherst on Meadow Street in early December, in which homes were reportedly entered during the evening hours and weapons were shown.

In the first incident a laptop computer and cash were stolen, while in the second, electronic items were taken and then abandoned outside the home after the residents got into a struggle with the intruders. The struggle led to one resident being struck in the head with a BB gun that looked like a handgun.