Leicester man facing felony marijuana charges

A 41-year-old Leicester man is facing a felony charge after his son — a kindergarten student — allegedly went to school smelling of marijuana.

According to a release from the Livingston County Sheriff’s office, Deputy Gene Chichester, the full-time school resource officer at the York Central School District, investigated the complaint of a kindergarten student coming to class with the odor of marijuana on his clothing.

Chichester and another deputy met with the child’s father, Mark Biondolillo, at his home in Leicester, and received permission to search the house after allegedly detecting a strong odor of marijuana.

The deputies discovered more than 35 ounces of marijuana packaged for sale, more than 100 plants in the growing stage, two separate growing rooms with equipment in each to grow marijuana, and an unspecified amount of money.

Biondolillo was charged with second-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a class D felony, unlawfully growing cannabis and endangering the welfare of a child. He was arraigned and held on bail.

The child is now in the custody of his mother.