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Texas Teen Could Get Life for Pot Brownie Operation

Jacob Lavoro, 19, of Round Rock, Texas, was arrested last month for allegedly making and selling pot brownies. Prosecutors are seeking felony charges.
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Jacob Joseph Lavoro, 19, is facing a first-degree felony charge for selling pot and hash brownies, Texas prosecutors said.AP

A Texas teenager accused of making and selling pot brownies has been charged with a first-degree felony — which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Jacob Lavoro, 19, was arrested April 14 at his Round Rock apartment after a neighbor smelled smoke and called police.

Inside, authorities said, they found an illegal operation that included 1.5 pounds of brownies, a pound of pot, baggies filled with marijuana and hash oil, and $1,675 in cash.

Lavoro allegedly sold each brownie for $25.

“I can’t see past this right now,” Lavoro, who is out on bond, told NBC affiliate KXAN. “And if it comes out to be a first-degree felony … chances of me being able to succeed with my goals are slim.”

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Jacob Joseph Lavoro, 19, is facing a first-degree felony charge for selling pot and hash brownies, Texas prosecutors said.AP

His father, Joe Lavoro, agreed that Williamson County prosecutors are going too far.

“No, I don’t believe my son is guilty to the point that they say,” he said.

Travis McDonald, assistant district attorney, said possessing at least 4 grams of hash oil could lead to a first-degree felony charge because it’s considered a controlled substance. Lavoro is accused of having 145 grams of the oil, which has higher concentrations of the active ingredient in cannabis.

The life in prison sentence is “part of a range” that could be as low as five years’ probation if Lavoro is found guilty, McDonald told NBC News.

He added that first-time offenders are generally treated to a different standard.

Lavoro’s attorney, meanwhile, has said that he wants the felony offense downgraded to a misdemeanor.

— Erik Ortiz