Audio: Man arrested after asking police how much marijuana he could grow

All he wanted was a little free legal advice. Unfortunately for one Farmington man, he decided to dial 911 instead of a lawyer.

In a tape of a Thursday night 911 call made available by Farmington police, a man identified by police as Robert Michelson, 21, of Farmington, asks how much trouble he'd get into for growing one marijuana plant. The dispatcher advises that he could be arrested, at which point the caller thanks the dispatcher and hangs up.

Police were able to trace the call back to an address on Waterville Road. Narcotics officers from Farmington went to the house and allegedly discovered that Michelson was growing marijuana there. Michelson allegedly admitted that he had spent "a lot of money online buying everything he needed to grow marijuana, including the seeds," police said. Officers seized a small amount of marijuana and numerous items of drug paraphernalia for smoking and growing the drug, police said.

During the conversation with the dispatcher, the man identified by police as Michelson is asked what his emergency is, and he replies "Uh, let's not get into that yet."

It all goes down hill from there, as the caller learns that he can indeed get into trouble for growing just one marijuana plant.

"Well, I have a legal question," the caller said.

"Is it life threatening or an active crime in progress?" the dispatcher asked.

The caller said, "Crime in progress, possibly."

After being asked, "What's going on?" by the dispatcher, the caller said, "I was just growing some marijuana and I was just wondering what, how much trouble you can get in for one plant."

The dispatcher asked how big the plant was and the caller responded that it is a seedling. The dispatcher then told him he could get arrested for possession, so the caller thanked him and hung up.

Michelson was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia in a drug factory, possession of less than four ounces of marijuana, illegal cultivation of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on $5,000 bond.

But before he left the police station, Michelson reportedly gave one final goodbye to the dispatcher: two middle fingers, "presumably for doing such a good job," police said.