Teen Arrested for Selling Marijuana at North Braintree Home

A 17-year-old from Braintree was charged with possessing and distributing marijuana after detectives allegedly observed him make multiple drug transactions at a home at John Paul Circle.

The youth's name was not released because he is considered a juvenile, Police Chief Russell Jenkins said in a statemement. Earlier this month, Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation making 18 the age of adulthood in the Massachusetts legal system.

Detectives were watching the house in North Braintree last Friday afternoon when they saw numerous people in different vehicles arrive and engage in what they determined were drug deals, Jenkins said.

When they entered the backyard, police "found six individuals, five Braintree youths and one man from Weymouth, ages sixteen to eighteen, sitting around a table with a small amount of marijuana and a scale," Jenkins said.

The 17-year-old was arrested after one of the men told police from where they had obtained the weed. A search of the young man and the Camry in which he arrived turned up an unnamed amount of marijuana, a scale, packaging materials and $127.

Prior to going in the backyard, the detectives had pulled over a Chevrolet Trailblazer with three individuals in it and smelled "a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside," Jenkins said. They found a sandwich bag containing marijuana.