CASSOPOLIS — Four individuals accused of operating a large-scale marijuana manufacturing operation have been charged with multiple crimes.

Joseph Frank Lorello, 54, Vincent Mariano Lorello, 26, Robert Alton Casper, 53, and Jorie Lynn Watkins, 18, were arraigned Friday in Cass County Court. The four are accused of operating and maintaining a marijuana operation spanning multiple Michigan counties and extending in to Illinois.

Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz called it the most sophisticated operation he has seen of its kind.

“These are serious offenses,” Fitz said. “I’ve been a prosecutor for 35 years now, 10 years as a narcotics prosecutor, and in all my years, this is the most sophisticated marijuana enterprise I’ve seen in the state of Michigan. I’ve seen manufacturing operations with as much marijuana as this, but never as sophisticated.”

The four were each charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, a felony which carries with it a sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine, and one count of conspiracy to commit controlled substance delivery or manufacturing, a felony that carries with it a sentence of 15 years in prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine.

The charges stem from search warrants carried out on Sept. 11, which uncovered large quantities of marijuana. Search warrants were issued in the following areas:

• The 25000 block of 61^st Street, Dowagiac; 295 marijuana plants were discovered at this location.
• The 17000 block of Dewey Lake Street, Decatur; 86 marijuana plants were discovered at this location.
• The 7200 block of Dean Hill Road, Berrien Springs; 177 marijuana plants were discovered at this location.
• The 1200 block of Pipestone, Benton Harbor; 93 marijuana plants were discovered at this location.
• The 800 block of E. 14 Mile Road, Newago, Michigan; 176 marijuana plants were discovered at this location.

Fitz said the locations were completely gutted and being used solely to produce marijuana.

Vincent Lorello and Watkins are being held on $150,000 bond. Joseph Lorello is being held on $250,000 bond, while Casper is being held on $200,000 bond. The bonds are higher in the cases of Joseph Lorello and Casper, as Prosecutor Fitz identified Joseph Lorello as the “kingpin” of the operation and Casper as his “number two.”

Joseph Lorello also owned and rented properties where marijuana was found, according to court testimony. Vincent Lorello, Joseph’s son, and Watkins, Vincent’s girlfriend, were said to have been watching the marijuana plants for Joseph and Casper at the time of their arrest.

The four will again appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 27.