A seventy-day suspension has been upheld for a Conservation Officer with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife who attempted to carry out a solo sting operation in 2013 after allegedly receiving a tip that a man, referred to as J.G. in court documents, was growing cannabis in a shed next to state land in South Jersey.
When Officer Zane Batten notified the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office (CCPO) of the tip, he found that there were no active investigations, so he decided to launch one of his own.
Batten placed an ad on Craigslist that included J.G.’s phone number and home address, hoping that people would arrive unannounced at his home and spook him enough to try and move the plants, giving the officer probable cause for a search.