Geneva man charged with marijuana cultivation

A 59-year-old Geneva man was charged with felony marijuana cultivation after 69 plants were found growing on the side of his home Wednesday morning, according to police and court records.

Gregory T. Panzer, of the 200 block of Division Street, faces anywhere from probation to seven years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.

According to Kane County court records, he also is charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of between 30 grams and 500 grams of marijuana, also a felony.

Panzer posted 10 percent of $25,000 bail late Thursday afternoon and was released from the Kane County jail. The next court date for Panzer, who does not have any previous arrests in Kane County, was not immediately available.

According to a Geneva police report, authorities were investigating an unrelated incident when one of Panzer’s neighbors approached officers and told them that Panzer had been growing marijuana on the side of his home and it could be seen by peeking over his fence.

Officers took photos of the plants, asked Panzer about them, and he gave police permission to go into his backyard. Officer also found a pipe with burned marijuana residue inside his home, the report said.

Geneva Police Cmdr. Eric Passarelli said the plants ranged in height from 11 inches to about 4½ feet tall.

“They were definitely not seedlings. They ranged in size,” Passarelli said of the plants.

Passarelli was unable to provide an estimated street value for the plants because he did not know the quality of the marijuana, but said a mature, high-quality marijuana plant could have a street value of as much as $2,000. Police have seized the plants as evidence, he said.