NORTHAMPTON — A Connecticut man was arraigned in Hampshire Superior Court on Thursday on a charge of trafficking in over 1,000 pounds of marijuana in Chesterfield.

On Oct. 2, 2018, fire officials responded to a call at 213 Ireland St. in Chesterfield, according to Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Bucci. At the scene, officials discovered that part of the house on the property was on fire, with Kamil Zakrzewski, 29, allegedly identified at the scene attempting to extinguish the flames with a hose. 

Officials then discovered the marijuana on the property, Bucci said. 

Zakrewski purchased the property in April 2018 for $255,000, according to the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds, and also owns property in New Britain, Connecticut. 

The large quantity of marijuana discovered was “certainly far exceeding the weight of any personal use,” Bucci noted. 

Court documents show that Zakrzewski was indicted for allegedly “knowingly or intentionally manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or cultivating or processing with intent to manufacture, distribute, dispense, or cultivate, or by bringing into the commonwealth a net weight of one hundred pounds or more of marijuana or any mixture thereof.”

Zakrzewski faces one count of trafficking between 100 and 2,000 pounds of marijuana, to which he pleaded not guilty on Thursday. He was released on personal recognizance. 

Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com. ]]>