LITCHFIELD — A Boston firefighter, along with his father, was arrested Tuesday after agents found 2½ pounds of processed marijuana and an extensive growing setup in a mobile home and garage.

It was the second Maine marijuana bust in less than two months involving a Boston firefighter.

Paul Bradley Jr., 25, a firefighter from Boston, was arrested Tuesday morning at his home, while his father, Paul Bradley Sr., 57, was taken into custody at his home in Revere, according to officials and the Boston Herald. Massachusetts State Police made the arrests on warrants issued  by Maine State Police.

The two men each face charges of aggravated trafficking in marijuana and marijuana cultivation, according to a statement issued by the Maine State Police. They were arraigned Tuesday and
released on $10,000 bail with the provision that they turn themselves
in to Maine authorities Wednesday.

Tuesday’s arrest was not the younger Bradley’s first brush with Maine
authorities. He was arrested Jan. 21 by the Lewiston Police
Department after a chase that ended in his crashing his car into a
utility pole on Webster Street. Charges included operating
under the influence, eluding an officer, criminal speeding and
possession of marijuana. Further information on the case was not available Tuesday night.

Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine State Police, said Tuesday’s charges stemmed from a search warrant executed Friday night at a Litchfield mobile home and adjacent garage owned by the father and son. Inside the garage, authorities discovered a grow operation that included artificial lighting, a watering system, timers and soil. Under cultivation were 22 plants ranging from 2 to 3 feet tall. Additionally, officers discovered two-and-half pounds of harvested marijuana in plastic bags. The street value of the equipment, plants and product was not listed by authorities.

Six state troopers and a deputy from Kennebec County raided the
property located at 42 Howards End in Litchfield about 9 p.m. Friday. The dirt road is just off Ferrin Road near the Sabattus-Bowdoin
town line.

“A search warrant had been issued Friday and troopers decided to serve it Friday night,” McCausland said. 

Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said Tuesday night that Bradley has been with the department since November 2007 and is assigned to Engine 33 in the Back Bay section of Boston. He said Bradley was not scheduled to work until Friday.

“We’re waiting to see what happens in Maine,” MacDonald said. “He’s turning himself in tomorrow.”

MacDonald said department officials are waiting until Friday before making any decision about his future as a firefighter. Depending on what happens at Bradley’s arraignment in Maine, MacDonald said there are several options for officials to consider, including administrative leave with or without pay, or his return to duty.

“It’s disappointing when you hear the news. It has an effect on the
entire department,” MacDonald said of the recent arrests. “We’re made
up of men and women from all walks of life. It’s just disheartening
when it happens.”

Bradley is the second Boston firefighter charged in pot growing operations in Western Maine this year. In late May, former Boston firefighter Sean Berte, 31, was arrested after a raid on his Bridgton home where authorities seized 131 marijuana plants and cultivation equipment worth an estimated $700,000. Berte resigned his position days after his arrest. His father-in-law, Michael Domenici, 60, of Rehoboth, was also charged. 

 Firefighter Paul Bradley Jr. leaves Roxbury District Court in Roxbury, Mass., following his arraignment on charges of being a fugitive from marijuana trafficking charges on Tuesday.

Firefighter Paul Bradley Jr. leaves Roxbury District Court following his arraignment on charges of being a fugitive from marijuana trafficking charges on Tuesday.