A Dane County man who had enough ingenuity to grow millions of dollars in marijuana in his basement, but not enough to prevent law enforcement from finding out, will serve two and a half years in prison. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb sentenced 23 year-old Curtis Faustich on Wednesday in Madison. Officers who executed a search warrant at Faustich’s McFarland home on April 13, 2010 found hundreds of marijuana plants, some between five and six feet tall, growing in the basement. The plants had a street value of between $1 million and $3 million.
In sentencing Faustich, Judge Crabb told him that she hoped he could use his education and intelligence in a way that contributed to society as opposed to committing crimes. Faustich’s co-defendant Zach Czerkas pleaded guilty on August 17, and will be sentenced on October 19. The charge against Faustich was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force. Faustich’s prison term will be served without possibility of parole and will be followed by four years of supervised release. During the execution of the search warrant, Faustich’s passport was seized by law enforcement. Prior to his appearance in court, Faustich obtained a new passport by lying on the application form