Youth Turns in Parents for Growing Marijuana

A Doylestown Township dad whose teenage son tipped off police to his indoor marijuana garden was sentenced, along with his wife, in Bucks County Court on Friday.

Joseph Medvedik, 50, was sentenced to four to 23 months in the county prison. Judge John Rufe ruled that Medvedik must serve the first 15 days behind bars, then the remaining on house arrest.

His wife, Caren Shanfeld, 45, was sentenced to two years of probation with 40 hours of community service.

Both pleaded guilty to drug possession and child endangerment charges in November. They were arrested in May, after Medvedik’s 15-year-old son called police, then escorted officers into the basement, where they found 18 plants growing in a room equipped with special insulation, circulating fans, halide lamps and other equipment used in the indoor farming of marijuana.

[...]Shanfeld wept as she described the shame of being arrested and having child protective service agents monitoring their home.

“It’s been an overwhelming experience,” Shanfeld told the judge.

“Clearly, I made an error in judgment. I kidded myself that the occasional use of marijuana was OK, and that if my kids did not have access to it, it was OK. I think marijuana should not be around anyone’s children, including my own.”