Written by RICHARD PATALONA   

I'M A 62 YEAR OLD MAN. I AM SELF EMPLOYED AT MY NURSERY THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1992. I LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL RURAL VILLAGE CALLED CHERRY VALLEY IN UPSTATE NEW YORK CLOSE TO COOPERSTOWN. (BASEBALL HALL OF FAME) I AM A CHILD OF THE 60'S AND HAVE ENJOYED MARIJUANA SINCE I WAS 16-17 YEARS OLD. MARIJUANA IS A BEAUTIFUL PLANT TO GROW AND I HAVE BEEN GROWING MY OWN FOR MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD BUYING IT AND GROWING PLANTS IS WHAT I DO. I NEVER GROW ENOUGH MARIJUANA TO GET ME THRU THE YEAR SO IN 2014 I DECIDED TO GROW MORE THAN USUAL. MY PLANTS GREW EXTREMELY WELL UNTIL A YOUNG PUNK KID STOLE 6 OF MY PLANTS AND PROCEEDED TO GET CAUGHT BY THE COPS. THIS YOUNG MAN WAS ON PROBATION AT THE TIME SO TO SAVE ON SOME JAIL TIME HE TOLD THE COPS WHERE HE STOLE IT FROM. ON SEPT. 17, 2014 I WAS ALONE AT MY NURSERY WHEN I SAW A HELICOPTER FLYING TOWARDS CHERRY VALLEY AND THOUGHT OF ALL THE MONEY WASTED TRYING TO ERADICATE THE SCOURGE OF MARIJUANA IN MY COUNTY AND STATE AND CONTINUED DOING MY CHORES. SOON I NOTICED A SHERIFFS VEHICLE IN MY PARKING LOT. I WAVED TO THE COPS AND WALKED OVER TO THEM WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT MARIJUANA PLANTS WERE SPOTTED AT MY HOME BY THE HELICOPTER. I INFORMED THEM THAT THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MARIJUANA PLANTS ON MY PROPERTY. (I HARVESTED EVERYTHING THAT THE THIEF DIDN'T STEAL FROM ME) THEY INSISTED THAT THEY FOLLOW ME HOME AND WHEN I DROVE TO MY HOME I SAW 6-8 OF WHAT LOOKED LIKE SPECIAL FORCES MILITARY MEN FROM A WAR ZONE. NOT ONE OF THE COPS WERE WEARING A POLICE UNIFORM OF ANY KIND. I WAS TOTALLY INTIMIDATED AND WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT THE GUY WHO RIPPED ME OFF ALSO RATTED ME OUT I FOOLISHLY BELIEVED THEY HAD ME. THERE WAS NO SEARCH WARRANT BUT WHEN THE HEAD COP ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY MARIJUANA IN MY HOUSE I STUPIDLY SAID YES AND ALLOWED THEM TO ENTER MY HOME WITHOUT A SEARCH WARRANT. I SHOWED THEM WHERE I WAS DRYING THE HARVESTED MARIJUANA AND GAVE THEM 2 GARBAGE BAGS TO PUT THE BRANCHES OF MY BEAUTIFUL MARIJUANA IN. THEN THE HEAD COP ASKED ME IF THERE WERE "LARGE AMOUNTS" OF CASH IN THE HOUSE. i HAD JUST HAD AN END OF SEASON "CLEARANCE SALE" AT MY NURSERY SO I HAD $11,000 CASH HIDDEN IN MY BEDROOM. THE COPS TOOK MY MONEY! EVERY PENNY OF IT WAS EARNED 100% LEGALLY FROM MY BUSINESS. MY BOOK KEEPER PROVED THAT AT LEAST $8,000 WAS EARNED FROM MY NURSERY THAT NEVER MADE IT TO THE BANK. I NEVER DEPOSIT CASH UNLESS I HAVE TO SO I CAN PAY OFF MY BILLS. ON MARCH 16, 2015 IT WILL BE 6 MONTHS SINCE THE OTSEGO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT. CONFISCATED MY MARIJUANA AND MY MONEY AND THE TRUE WEIGHT OF THE MARIJUANA AFTER THE STEMS AND BRANCHES ARE REMOVED IS STILL UNKNOWN TO ME AND MY LAWYER. I WAS NEVER READ MY RIGHTS OR CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME. TO BE CONTINUED.........