Smoked: 75 pounds of marijuana seized in drug bust

By George P. Hassett

  A Malden man was arraigned this morning in Somerville District Court after allegedly being caught with 75 pounds of marijuana and $247,200 in cash.

  Michael G. Ricketts, 45, was arrested in West Somerville with the drugs and the cash after Massachusetts State Troopers received information from authorities in Arizona that a package was to be shipped to a fictitious company in Somerville, believed to contain approximately 40 pounds of marijuana, said a spokesperson for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office. 

  State Troopers set up surveillance at the address of this fictitious company and at approximately 12:00 p.m., a man, later identified as Ricketts, took possession of two suspected packages.  Officers approached Ricketts, and he fled from his vehicle through neighboring backyards away from officers, police said.  But Ricketts was soon caught and placed under arrest.

  Officers recovered approximately 40 pounds of marijuana and seized Ricketts‚Äô vehicle. After police busted Ricketts, they went to his girlfriends house in Everett and allegedly found another 35 pounds of marijuana in the apartment as well as $247,200 in cash.

   The DA‚Äôs office estimates that the 75 pounds of marijuana has a street value of about $90,000.