Berkeley Man Indicted On Drug Manufacturing Charge: Prosecutor

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Berkeley Township man has been indicted in connection with what authorities say was an illegal marijuana production facility operated out of a home in Holiday City at Berkeley, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Daniel Kessel, 36, was indicted Wednesday on charges of maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility; financial facilitation of criminal activity; possession of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with intent to distribute; possession of more than five pounds of hashish with intent to distribute; possession of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and possession of hashish, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Berkeley Township detectives determined Kessel was using a home in the Holiday City section of Berkeley Township for narcotics distribution, the prosecutor's office said.

A search of Kessel's home on Aug. 25, 2020, turned up 7 pounds of hashish, 2 pounds of THC, drug paraphernalia, equipment and supplies indicative of manufacturing and distributing narcotics, and about $18,000 in cash, the prosecutor's office said.

Detectives also learned Kessel had a safe deposit box at a Bank of America branch in Toms River and on Aug. 26, 2020, executed a search warrant and seized $61,000 from the safe deposit box, the prosecutor's office said.

Kessel was arrested and taken to the Ocean County Jail, and later released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.

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