Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that a Kent County Superior Court jury found John O'Clair, Sr. (age 41), Yvonne O'Clair (age 38), and John O'Clair, Jr. (age 20) guilty of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of one to five kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to violate the Uniformed Controlled Substances Act. The jury returned the verdict after two and one half days of deliberations following a five day trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Brian P. Stern.
During the course of the trial, the State proved that the three family members were operating an illegal marijuana grow out of their residence at 10 Marion Drive, Coventry. On October 10, 2013, the Coventry Police Department executed a search warrant on the residence where they found more than eight pounds of marijuana, marijuana candy, marijuana oil, 31 mature marijuana plants and 50 seedlings.
While at the time of the arrest, the defendants, living in the same residence, were within the legal limits for the number of seedlings and mature plants, they exceeded the usable marijuana allowed under the Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act.
All three remain out on bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for June 23, 2015.
Coventry Police Detective Sergeant Matthew Blair and Detective Ryan Desisto led the investigation. Special Assistant Attorney General Timothy Healy prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.