MONTGOMERY, IL. – A 37-year-old cancer patient who ordered 42 pounds of marijuana-laced chocolate admitted to the possession and was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
The Kane County State’s Attorney’s officials said that on May 30, 2019, Thomas J. Franzen as part of a plea agreement, put in a guilty plea for Unlawful Possession of more than 5000 grams of cannabis. The Circuit Judge accepted the plea and requested that Thomas J. Franzen return to court on June 14, 2019, to submit medical tests to determine when he should begin serving his sentence.
The investigation began in February 2014, when U.S. Postal workers noticed a pattern of suspicious parcels delivered to Frazen using a California address. A search warrant was obtained and a package was opened as a result. Inside the package, they found more than 19000 grams of chocolate infused with THC. Following the discovery, a search warrant was served at Frazen’s home on Harmony Drive in the City of Montgomery.
“Inside his bedroom, they found cocaine, more than 100 additional grams of marijuana, along with items that are known to be evidence of drug dealing,” Kane County State’s Attorney’s officials said. “These items include a digital scale, more than $2,000 in cash, ledgers used to track drug sales, materials used for drug packaging, and numerous postal receipts for parcels he had mailed to locations across the U.S. and Canada.” In addition, they found cannabis hash oil and other drug paraphernalia.
The court said that they reduced the 12-year minimum sentence to 4 years, which he will likely serve 2 years of. The court still believes the Mr. Frazen is a drug dealer and that he unnecessarily delayed his hearings because he said that his medical condition made him unable to sit through a trial. Mr. Franzen’s own physician stated that Franzen’s medical condition would not prevent him from sitting through his trial. “Evidence from state and federal investigators shows that he has purchased and sold marijuana products across North America. In addition to the evidence found in his home, we also have evidence that he had received multiple packages that raised the suspicion of postal inspectors prior to his receiving the package that led to his arrest. “
The defense attorney said that there was no evidence that Mr. Franzen had sought to legally purchase marijuana for medicinal purposes after Illinois’ medical marijuana law took effect.
“The marijuana-laced product found at Mr. Franzen’s home was not purchased from a medical marijuana business, and the amount he purchased far exceeds what would be used for personal consumption and is evidence that he is a drug dealer.”
