New Jersey man raked in $20K a day from illegal marijuana vending machines: prosecutors
An enterprising New Jersey man raked in up to $20,000 a day running illegal marijuana vending machines — with at least 80 locations across the state, prosecutors said.
Ben Gross, a 40-year-old Toms River resident, was arrested Friday after investigators identified him as the owner of the Barbwire vending machine company.
Cops in Ocean and Monmouth counties spent more than two years tracing the operation, officials said.
Prosecutors said Gross made between $17,000 and $20,000 per day from the machines.
Marijuana is legal in New Jersey, but it can only be sold by licensed dispensaries to people 21 and older.
Gross’s machines were not licensed to sell marijuana, authorities said.
Investigators raided Gross’s home in Toms River as well as two other homes — one in Lakewood and another in Jackson.
Law enforcement officials also busted up a warehouse in Manchester that was used to package the marijuana before it was sold at the illegal do-it-yourself dispensaries, according to authorities.
Investigators seized more than 100 pounds of marijuana flower, 5 pounds of hashish, hundreds of pounds of THC-infused candy and THC vape products during the searches, prosecutors said.
“While marijuana possession is legal for adults under certain circumstances in New Jersey, it is still illegal to sell marijuana without proper licensure,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement.
“The distribution of cannabis is strictly regulated, and those who choose to operate outside of that legal framework will be held accountable.”
Gross has been charged with money laundering, possession of 25 pounds or more of marijuana with intent to distribute, maintaining a controlled dangerous substance production facility and other drug-related felonies.
If convicted, he could face decades behind bars.
Three other alleged accomplices — Delma Canales-Garcia, Susana Garcia-Canales and Carlos Sanchez-Castillo — were arrested after they were found at the Manchester warehouse.
All four were later released pending further court proceedings.
“While recreational cannabis was legalized in New Jersey several years ago, clear-cut criminal penalties remain on the books for precisely this set of circumstances – because consumers in New Jersey deserve to know precisely what they are buying and from whom, resting assured that the production, packaging, and sale of their purchases has been arranged in safe, legal, and well-regulated fashion,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.
“These arrests and seizures should send a clear message to those who might choose to circumvent the rules for a quick profit: you will be investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
