Ohio Pizzeria Busted for Marijuana Possession

Due to growing suspicions and undercover work, police raided Mia Bella's Pizza at 2528 Pleasant Avenue near Cincinnati earlier in the week under uncovering 2 1/2 pounds of marijuana behind the counter along with scales and plastic bags.

The store's 32-year-old manager and co-owner, Brian Wallace, of Colerain Township, was found in possession with $1,400 in cash in his pockets along with the other findings, the police said.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Butler County's Sheriff Department had been staking out the restaurant for a month and purchasing marijuana from Wallace. After the arrest the Sheriff's Deputies worked along side Regional Narcotics Enforcement agents to raid the managers home in which they found an additional 36 1/2 pounds of marijuana along with some pills and an evident growing operations within. The marijuana seized alone is estimated at around $45,000 street value. Wallace was charged with drug trafficking, possession of drugs in both Butler and Hamilton Counties police officials said. While facing charges in Hamilton County he was placed in jail held with a bail of $200,000.

While there is no word from the local authorities if marijuana was on any of the pizzas that were ordered. Interestingly enough there are recipes on the Internet for such a pizza. You will find at Marijuana.com a simple recipe that for one pizza, an ounce of cannibas, and mozzarella cheese you can create an actual marijuana pizza. It is unaware to acknowledge if this is considered legal to even place such a thing on a particular website, but when searching "marijuana pizza" you will find over 1 million search results.

There has been a few other instances over the years in pizzeria establishments that have intertwined with marijuana. Like in Iowa a pizza delivery man was arrested and charged for marijuana after accidentally placing his weed in the bank deposit bag last fall. While it is unclear how long the Mia Bella's manager and co-owner will spend in jail he faces 4th and 5th degree felony charges which could constitute anywhere from a 12-36 month sentence.

Wallace's father Gary is also co-owner of the pizza restaurant and it is unknown at this point if he is under investigation himself, sources say. Lauren Pack from the Dayton Daily News writes that employees who wished not to be named were working in the restaurant on Thursday but had not seen or served any customers. Surprisingly the two employees were unaware that Wallace had even been arrested.