By Chris Engelhardt
A Scarsdale woman was charged with conspiring to manufacture and distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants out of her Maspeth warehouse in a venture called Fantastic Enterprises, federal authorities said.
Andrea Sanderlin was in custody after federal Drug Enforcement Agents discovered a sophisticated operation to grow and process marijuana in a warehouse at 58-15 57th Drive in Maspeth, according to the criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court. The warehouse had two separate rooms to grow pot, the agency said.
Back in April, an unnamed witness provided information to DEA agents that the Scarsdale mom known as “Andi” operated a marijuana growing operation in either Brooklyn or Queens.
On May 8, agents contacted Con Edison about electric accounts under Sanderlin’s name and the utility told the DEA that the location was “using an unusually high amount of electricity,” the court documents said. The bills were paid in cash.
Con Edison also provided information that Sanderlin’s account was listed under the name of Fantastic Enterprises in Maspeth. Between May 13-17, law enforcement agents watched Sanderlin commuting between her Scarsdale home and the Fantastic Enterprises location in her gray Mercedes SUV.
On May 20, agents said Sanderlin left her residence and as she approached Fantastic Enterprises, DEA agents stopped her and identified themselves. Sanderlin confirmed that the warehouse was hers, but she refused to give the agent her consent to enter the premises, the court documents said.
After obtaining a search warrant, the DEA agents seized more than 1,000 marijuana plants and large quantities of dried marijuana, the criminal complaint said. Each room in the warehouse contained state of the art lighting, irrigation and ventilation systems to facilitate growing marijuana, the complaint said.
Sanderlin, who was arrested the same day, faces charges of conspiring to make and sell at least 1,000 marijuana plans. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.
