Mixed Marital Artist Arrested in $1.2M Pot Bust

**jsampras3** · Posted On: 5/27/2010 1:26pm

Mixed Marital Artist Arrested in $1.2M Pot Bust

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37370336

By Vince Lattanzio
NBCPhiladelphia.com
updated 2:20 p.m. ET, Thurs., May 27, 2010
A huge marijuana growing operation was shut down in University City Wednesday night.

Officers from the Philadelphia Police Narcotics division raided Babylon Martial Arts at 4112 Spruce Street just after 10 p.m., police said.

Inside, they found 137 marijuana plants and already packaged hydro-quality pot, authorities said. In all, the drugs carry a street value of $1.2 million.

Authorities say the operation was "well-oiled" and appeared to have been underway for some time.

Travis Roesler was arrested for his connection to the operation, according to police.

Roesler is a mixed marital artist and former University of Pennsylvania football player. He was also scheduled to appear on the MTV series Bully Beatdown.

In the show, bullies are confronted by martial artist Jason "Mayhem" Miller and challenged to a fight with another mixed marital artist.

Charges against Roesler have yet to be filed.

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I went to Penn back in the day but I never heard of this school. It's like 10 blocks from where I live too, so if I'm bored 1 day I will go walk by and see if what it looks like. That's a pretty nice grow operation for Philly.

I'm not sure if it's worse that he's MMA FIGHTER/Massive grow operator who was going to be on Bully Beatdown, or that he's growing/dealing OUT OF THE SCHOOL. lol

Lets get the easy joke out of the way: Where he's going, hopefully he has good anti-man BJJ, especially turtle guard.

**Rivington** · Posted On: 5/27/2010 2:36pm

I can't believe it wasn't Eddie Bravo.

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 5/27/2010 2:39pm

That was the first thing I thought, Eddie got caught!!!!!

**justsome** · Posted On: 5/27/2010 4:06pm

'street value'. Ha i always love that phrase. Move a coupla decimal points whenever you see it in an article..

**Conde Koma** · Posted On: 5/27/2010 4:30pm

dealing out of the school was probably the dumbest move he could make. does anyone else see the school closing because of this?

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 5/27/2010 9:44pm

Well, the Law in Florida is that if you are using your own property in the commission of a crime, like selling dope out of a car, then the cops can seize your property. Not sure what the law is up there, but I would bet the school closes. If it was here in FL, they would seize the property if he owned it. If he didn't own it then the property would go back to whoever holds the note on it.

**Shawarma** · Posted On: 5/28/2010 8:01am

I like how he repeatedly misspells "mixed martial artist" as "mixed marital artist."
Maybe the perp is a Mormon?

**Hertzyscowicz** · Posted On: 5/28/2010 10:13am

What does "hydro-quality" even mean? Was the stuff grown with hydroponics, or was it on par with water as a narcotic?

Also, presuming twenty bucks a gram, the unsold merchandise would be in the order of a pound per plant. You'd think a "well-oiled operation" would have ditched the extra production capacity with that much stuff cluttering their warehouse. Of course, it's more likely the cops either inflated the street price or forgot to subtract the weight of those glass jars the pot was packed in.

**jsampras3** · Posted On: 5/28/2010 1:09pm

Here is an update from the University of Pennsylvania newspaper:

Wednesday, Philadelphia Police arrested former Penn Football player Travis Roesler, 27, and seized $1.2 million worth of marijuana, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Police Captain James Kelly told the Inquirer that police found a hydroponic grow room on the second floor of Babylon Studios – a fight-training business run by Roesler at 4112 Spruce St – and that he’d been distributing “hydro” marijuana, which has a doubled street value, in University City.

Roesler , who graduated from Wharton in 2006, was a defensive lineman for the Quakers.

Roesler’s bail is set at $300,000. He faces five charges, including possession with intent to distribute, causing catastrophe and reckless endangerment. He has an arraignment scheduled for June 10.

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How the hell does he get charged with "causing catastrophe" for having a grow operation? It's not like he was growing WMD's or his grow room blew up. Maybe it's because he was growing super extra special 2x the value magic "hydro" marijuana.

That area is mostly like rowhouses, so I'm assuming it's like a storefront 1st floor and apartments above. I'm guessing he had the store + an apartment on top that he converted to a grow house. He probably wasn't dealing directly out of the gym, but still really, really stupid.

I would add a little joke about the intelligence of Wharton grads, but it's just too easy.