April 22--Four men from the Chicago area have been charged with growing more than 1,000 marijuana plants at a Rockford warehouse that burned down in a massive fire in January, authorities said.
Two of the men, George H. Bacus, 51, of Niles, and Jeremiah N. Clement, 37, of Des Plaines, were taken into custody Wednesday after being indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of conspiring to manufacture, possess and distribute the marijuana plants, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
Authorities said warrants have been issued for the arrests of the other two men, who are wanted on the same charges: Yousif Y. Pira, 62, of Chicago, and Justin T. Paglusch, 33, of Ingleside.
The four are accused of growing and storing marijuana at the warehouse at 1916 11th Street in Rockford from January 2013 until the building was destroyed by fire on Jan. 6 this year, the release said.
Authorities alleged that Bacus contracted to purchase the warehouse in January 2013 and that Clement later entered into a lease with an option to purchase the structure.
Bacus and Clement were due to appear in federal court Wednesday in Rockford and in Hartford, Conn., respectively.
