Weapons, 480 pounds of pot, cash seized in New Hampshire

CONCORD, N.H. – Two men authorities accuse of being part of a massive marijuana distribution ring on the Seacoast and in southern Maine are in custody following the seizure of guns, $229,000 and 480 pounds of pot.

Michael Croteau, 55, of Rye was arrested Nov. 16 after agents pulled him over in Dover. U.S. Attorney Thomas Colantuono said agents found more than 5 pounds of marijuana in Croteau’s car; later searches turned up a total of 80 pounds of the drug and about a dozen guns, including two semiautomatic assault weapons.

Two weeks later, the seizure of 400 pounds of marijuana from a barn in Farmington, N.H., led to the arrest of Robert Vennard, 50, of Berwick, Maine.

Vennard was charged with intent to distribute marijuana.

Both men were being held at the Strafford County Jail – Croteau in the federal prisoners’ section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Howard declined to describe how Vennard and Croteau know each other. They have court dates later this month.

“The significance of the arrests lies largely in the nature of the weapons found,” he said Wednesday at a news conference. “We haven’t seen an arrest of this size in many years.”

The value of the drugs seized is about $875,000, authorities said.

Farmington police who raided the barn said they were overwhelmed by the volume of marijuana, which was wrapped in plastic between layers of coffee grounds and axle grease, then packed in boxes.

Sgt. Myron Crossley said all the seized drugs barely fit in the department’s Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle.

“There was so much of it we couldn’t store it,” said Chief Scott Roberge.