Jury exonerates Malden man in Saugus marijuana sale recruitment case

SALEM – A Superior Court jury exonerated a Malden man charged with recruiting a 14-year-old Saugus teenager to sell marijuana.Mario Joseph, 24, of 224 Kennedy Drive, #801, Malden, went on trial this week in Salem Superior Court on a charge of inducing a minor to distribute narcotics.A jury comprised of five women and seven men deliberated for just about a half-hour late Tuesday afternoon acquitting Joseph of the charge.Prosecutors accused Joseph of recruiting a 14-year-old Saugus teenager to sell marijuana on Nov. 8, 2010.Joseph was working as a security guard at a fitness club on Broadway in Saugus at the time when authorities say he befriended the teen and recruited him to sell marijuana.The mother of the teenager found out through a friend and went to police.The victim, now age 15, took the stand and testified he got an ounce of marijuana to sell from Joseph, who wanted $250 in exchange for the dope. But jurors were not convinced and found Joseph not guilty.His attorney James N. Greenberg challenged the credibility of the teen while insisting his client was innocent.Joseph was indicted by an Essex County grand jury last February and had been free on his own personal recognizance since being arraigned in Superior Court.