A raid on an illegal marijuana dispensary in Lumberton Township uncovered more than 100 pounds of cannabis, $243,000 in cash and other controlled substances, Burlington County prosecutors said on Wednesday.
The store, called Skraptyques, was operating out of a strip mall off of Route 38 and was an unlicensed operator. Besides marijuana, investigators found psychedelic mushrooms and edibles being sold in counterfeit wrappers designed to look like bags of Cheetos, Life Savers, Nerds, Skittles and Cocoa Pebbles Rice Krispie bars.
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"The operation was not an authorized cannabis dispensary such as those presently being approved by the state," said Prosecutor Scott Coffina. "Rather, this was a brazen retail outlet operating as a convenience store for illegal marijuana, other CDS, and edibles in packaging that would make them very attractive to young children when their customers brought them home."
The owners, Matthew Quinn and Crystal Cain, of Mount Holly, were both arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms, fortifying a CDS manufacturing/distribution facility and conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.
Cain was additionally charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia.
The other three employees — Perry Brown, Nicole Colley, and Marion Huff — were each charged with intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.
Colley was additionally charged with distribution of mushrooms. Brown, who provided security at the store, was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a firearm while committing a CDS crime and possession of large capacity magazines. A firearm in Brown's possession was seized during the raid.
During the four-week investigation, police and prosecutors discovered that customers who visited the store were met by an armed security officer wearing a bulletproof vest. The guard would confiscate cell phones and scan people with a handheld metal detector before sending them to a backroom, which was filled with displays of marijuana, edibles and psychedelic mushrooms.
Coffina noted that, while the state's legal marijuana market has not yet officially opened, sellers and businesses who are unlicensed and therefore unregulated will not be tolerated.
"The approaching legalized retail market for cannabis still will not permit uncontrolled and, frankly, dangerous operations such as these, and we will continue our enforcement efforts to ensure the safety of Burlington County residents, especially our children," Coffina said.
The drugs and money were seized after warrants were issued at the storefront, the owners' residence, a self-storage facility in Mount Laurel and four vehicles.