Cops say Hicksville man grew marijuana in basement

Police went to a Hicksville home Sunday to arrest a man on a failure to appear in court ticket.

Instead, police said, the man ended up being arrested on two drug charges - after the officers smelled marijuana coming from inside the home and later found "what appeared to be a growing room" in the basement of the house.

Nassau County police said Brandon Schneider was arrested at the home on York Street at 6:10 p.m. Sunday. He was charged with second-degree and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance - and police said marijuana recovered from his room will be presented to a grand jury at a later date.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in First District Court in Hempstead.

Police said officers were sent to the home looking for Schneider, who they said was wanted for failure to appear in court on an assault charge.

Once at the home, police said the officers "smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from the house." Police said the officers asked where Schneider was and were told the basement. They then entered the basement, police said, and found the growing room.