Published: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

TRACY KENNEDY

BANTAM — A city man who reportedly grew marijuana at his apartment and packaged his illegal drugs in McDonald‘s Chicken McNugget boxes is facing criminal charges.

Frank V. Gentile III, 17, 164 North Elm St., and three alleged buyers, Glenn M. Brandner, 19, 167 French St., Torrington, Brittany Alfano, 22, 1899 Mountain Road, Torrington, and Garrett Neumann, 19, 143 West Pearl Road, Torrington, were arrested at 10:46 p.m. Sunday by Torrington police.

Judge Corinne Klatt set Gentile’s bond at $5,000 and ordered him to appear in court again July 22.

Neumann posted a $500 bond and Brandner and Alfano were released on a $2,500 non-surety bond. The three defendants were scheduled to appear in court July 6.

Alfano, Neumann and another man were waiting in a car near North Elm Street and Norwood Street for Brandner, to come out of Gentile’s home, when Torrington police officer Quinn Sullivan saw their Hyundai Elantra, according to police. Sullivan was in the process of checking the passengers’ identification when Brandner came out of the apartment. The officer looked inside a McDonald’s Chicken McNugget box Brandner was carrying and found the marijuana, Brandner reportedly just bought from Gentile. A search of Gentile’s home yielded a seizure of 4.8 ounces of marijuana found in a plastic bag under Gentile’s couch, a large plastic bag containing marijuana plant stems, packaging material, a glass pipe containing burnt marijuana, a digital scale, a purple grinder, a pot containing marijuana plants, two cell phones, rolling papers and $89 in cash, according to court records.

During the search police said Gentile’s cell phone rang numerous times. Police recorded several text messages including the following: “yo you want 8 big weed plants” and another “that s-- you gave me has mold on it my ma ia allergic (misspelled message) to it and she got rushed to the hospital”, according to police.

Gentile, an unemployed store clerk, pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of over four ounces of marijuana, sale of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana in a school zone and cultivation of marijuana.

Brandner was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana in a school zone.

Neumann was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal attempt to possess marijuana. Alfano was charged with criminal attempt to possess marijuana and possession of marijuana