145 Pot Plants Worth $435K Found in Hillsborough Man's Yard, Authorities Say

A Roycefield Road resident has been accused of growing 145 marijuana plants in his backyard.

Rick Rivella, 46, was charged with manufacturing marijuana after a task force learned he was growing numerous plants on his property, according to a statement by Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Acting Chief of Detectives Timothy Fitzgerald and Hillsborough Township Chief of Police Paul A. Kaminsky.

He was taken into custody following a search of his land by members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Hillsborough police following a tip from the New Jersey State Police Marijuana Eradication Unit.

The search resulted in the seizure of 145 marijuana plants, with an estimated street value of $435,000. If found guilty on the charge, Rivella faces a possible prison sentence of 10 to 20 years.

Rivella is being held in the Somerset County Jail with bail set by the Honorable Edward M. Coleman, P.J.Ch., at $150,000 cash or bond.