DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A father and son duo has been arrested for running an illegal drug operation out of their Dania Beach home, deputies say.
Brad Garabedian, 36, and his 74-year-old father, Richard Garabedian, were arrested at their home, following a raid conducted by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
“There were a large amount of marijuana and they were all packaged and ready for sale. It was a very slick operation. It was very organized,” said BSO spokesperson Joy Oglesby.
Shelving units with glass displays inside the house featured medicinal-looking vials of cannabis, as well as THC-dipped cigarettes and THC oil syrups, according to the police report.
“This was a store. They were running this as a business,” said Oglesby.
A total of 8,988 grams of cannabis, 391 grams of cocaine and 302 grams of THC oil were found inside the home, police said.
Police also found weapons, including 19 high-powered rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a bulletproof vest.
“This is just feet away from a church. It was a danger to law enforcement and a greater danger also to the community,” said Oglesby.
Neighbors in the area are still in shock following the arrests.
“I would see his dad sitting out front. Like I said, he’s super approachable. He’s probably one of the nicer neighbors out of all of the people, besides my next door neighbor across the street. He’s super friendly,” said neighbor Justin Marrale.
“It is odd, especially for as quiet as it is over here. You wouldn’t expect that,” added neighbor David Ribak.
According to the BSO, when asked whether or not he knew there was an illegal drug operation in his home, it was very clear Richard knew what was going on.
“I’ve seen police cars and police. I’m not surprised – not in this day and age. You never know what kind of neighbors you have or whatever is going on,” said neighbor Ernest Fork.
Both father and son are facing a list of charges, including drug trafficking. They have posted their over $200,000 bond and are both out of jail.
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