An Upper Darby couple who called the police to report a robbery were themselves arrested after police found a marijuana-growing operation in their basement, authorities said yesterday.
Along with $10,000 worth of marijuana, police also found law-enforcement badges and jackets, Nazi uniforms, and several weapons, including a loaded AK-47.
Edward D. Hatton, 43, of the 100 block of Maplewood Avenue, and his wife, Debra, 52, were charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. They were being held yesterday on $100,000 bail at the Delaware County jail.
The police are trying to determine how Edward Hatton, a Haverford Township public works employee, came to possess a Philadelphia police jacket and badge, as well as jackets and badges from federal and corrections agencies, said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
"Our concern is how many other times has he gone out and identified himself as a law-enforcement agent," Chitwood said.
Last November, the police were called to Matty's Place, a bar on West Chester Pike, where Hatton was found with a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives badge, and a replica handgun, Chitwood said. Hatton was released without charges because police could not prove that he was impersonating an officer or had threatened anyone with the fake gun, Chitwood said.
Debra Hatton, a horticulturist, kept the lawn neatly landscaped in front of their house. In the basement, police said, they found a "first-class" hydroponic marijuana operation. More than a dozen knee-high plants were on display at the police station yesterday, as well as large jars full of "kind bud," a high-quality marijuana found in a basement refrigerator. Kind bud sells for $500 per 28 grams, said Capt. George J. Rhoades Jr.; typical marijuana sells for $90 to $130, he said.
When asked where he got the AK-47, Edward Hatton said, "the street," Chitwood said. Police also found at least three additional handguns, a police baton, two switchblade knives, and a blackjack.
Inside Edward Hatton's closet were several Nazi uniforms, helmets, boots and medals, Rhoades said.
The Hattons called police Friday afternoon, and Edward Hatton told them he came home to find two young men in his home. Police caught the fleeing suspects, both juveniles. As police officers collected DNA and fingerprint evidence for the attempted robbery case, an officer noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from the basement into the kitchen, according to a criminal complaint.
Edward Hatton was previously arrested in 1985 for possession of marijuana and in 1999 for retail theft. Debra Hatton was arrested in 1986 for possession of a controlled substance, Chitwood said.
