Five face marijuana trafficking charges

Four men were arrested during the weekend and a fifth yesterday in a suspected international marijuana ring that authorities tracked for five months using global positioning satellite systems and cellphone text messaging monitoring, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly announced yesterday.

It was the first time Reilly's office had used surveillance of cellphone text messages.

State Police arrested the men on numerous drug and weapons charges and recovered more than 100 pounds of the hydroponic marijuana, more than 100 Percocet pills, $300,000, cellphones, knives, a .45-caliber handgun and ammunition, and five vehicles, Reilly said at a news conference at his headquarters in Boston, a few feet from a table displaying most of the recovered items.

Alleged ringleader Jeremy Katz, 25, and Robert McCormick, 26, both of Burlington, Thomas Cataloni, 25, of Walpole, and Kory L. Arquette, 27, of Hogansburg, N.Y., were all arraigned yesterday in Woburn District Court. Cataloni was released on his own recognizance, while the other three were held on bail, Reilly's spokeswoman Beth Stone said.

Katz's brother Joshua Katz, 21, of Burlington, was arrested yesterday while driving in Canton and is scheduled to be arraigned today, Stone said.

"This case symbolizes in many ways that there is a powerful, very addictive drug that is coming into the Boston area; that the individuals who are running this organization are increasingly using the most advanced technology that they have to their ability; and we're able to intercept that technology," Reilly said.

State and local police worked with federal agents and Canadian authorities in breaking up the drug pipeline, which Reilly said led from Canada, through New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire and into Boston. The men were arrested after officials tracked them as they made their way toward Canada overnight Friday to purchase the drugs, Reilly said.

Over the past eight weeks, the men allegedly paid more than $500,000 to import more than 300 pounds of the hydroponic marijuana from British Columbia, Reilly said. Much of it was ultimately destined for college campuses in the area, he said.

"The information that we have is this drug is rampant at college campuses in this area," he said. Reilly declined to elaborate on how many additional suspects they may be targeting, but he said the investigation is ongoing.

As part of the investigation, police searched Jeremy Katz's home, and other areas in Burlington, Sharon, Walpole, and Rhode Island.

Priced at a wholesale cost of about $2,000 per pound and $3,500 per pound on the street, hydroponic marijuana is grown in a nutrient solution and is more expensive and potent than other kinds. Reilly also touted the technology used in tracking the operation.

"I think this represents a new era in Boston [policing] and a cooperative side with federal powers here and a new level of sophistication that is technically advanced to chase bad guys as well," Reilly said.

Reilly would not talk in detail about how the global positioning satellite system was used except to say: "We are able to monitor their comings and goings by street."

Globe correspondent Janette Neuwahl contributed to this report. Scott Goldstein can be reached at sgoldstein@globe.com.