Gone to pot? Cops nab 3 older men

By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Three gray-haired men remain in federal custody after raids on the North Side and in Hubbard turned up more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
Robert J. Poghen, 62, of Westminster Avenue, Austintown; Robert Maker, 62, of Stewart Court, Washington, Pa.; and Anthony Fawcett, 54, of Fifth Avenue, Hubbard, made their initial appearance Thursday afternoon in federal court. The government, in its criminal complaint, said the men have been cultivating and distributing marijuana.
U.S. Magistrate Judge George J. Limbert ordered that the men remain in custody pending probable cause/pretrial detention hearings set for 3 p.m. Tuesday. Each man, unable to afford to hire a lawyer, received court-appointed counsel.
Linda H. Barr, an assistant U.S. attorney, said in court that the penalty is 10 years to life and a $4 million fine. She noted that for Fawcett and Maker, who have prior convictions, the penalty would be 20 years to life and $8 million fine.
Search warrants
Members of the Drug Enforcement Administration task force used search warrants Thursday to enter 30 Strausbaugh Ave. and across the street at F & amp;F Pastas, 1097 Wick Ave. The pasta shop is owned by Fawcett's ex-wife, the government said.
DEA agents from the Pittsburgh office raided Maker's residence.
Poghen, Maker and Fawcett were taken into custody at the Strausbaugh Avenue location, described in court papers as a building housing indoor marijuana cultivation. Agents also found cultivated marijuana and firearms during a raid at Fawcett's home, the government said.
In all, more than 1,000 marijuana plants in various stages of growth were found, said DEA Special Agent Douglas E. Lamplugh, in charge of the Youngstown office.
In an affidavit, Boardman Sgt. Michael Hughes, a task force agent, said he obtained information that Fawcett was distributing large amounts of marijuana and that the operation was close to the pasta store. Hughes said Fawcett's name turned up in a 2000 DEA marijuana case.
Building surveillance
Agents who conducted surveillance of the building at 30 Strausbaugh for the past 3 1/2 months discovered it had large exhaust fans running constantly. They didn't see any signs of a legitimate business.
The rear windows and doors were replaced with cement blocks, and the rear of the property has a new chain link fence with barbed wire.
Hughes used a thermal imaging camera on the building in August and observed heat emissions, consistent with lights used to grow marijuana. He said the smell of marijuana was detected from an air vent.
In March 2004, the DEA raided a warehouse on Marshall Street and seized 3,850 marijuana plants in various stages of growth. One woman and five men were charged in that case and pleaded guilty.
meade@vindy.com