Seven Chinese nationals have been charged in connection with a conspiracy to cultivate and distribute marijuana across the Northeast, using grow houses hidden within single-family homes in Massachusetts and Maine. It is alleged that Chinese nationals were smuggled into the United States to work in these operations without access to their passports until they repaid their smuggling debts.
The individuals indicted include Jianxiong Chen, Yuxiong Wu, Dinghui Li, Dechao Ma, Peng Lian Zhu, Hongbin Wu, and Yanrong Zhu. They face charges of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess marijuana with intent to distribute. Additional charges include money laundering and bringing aliens into the United States.
Six defendants were arrested this morning while Yanrong Zhu remains at large. U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley stated, “This case pulls back the curtain on a sprawling criminal enterprise that exploited our immigration system and our communities for personal gain.”
Ted E. Docks of the FBI’s Boston Division remarked on the arrests: “Today, we arrested members of an alleged Chinese-run drug trafficking organization who are accused of running a massive marijuana cultivation and distribution scheme that has raked in millions.”
According to charging documents dating back to January 2020, the defendants allegedly operated a network of interconnected grow houses in Massachusetts and Maine for cultivating and distributing bulk quantities of marijuana. The operation reportedly included locations in Braintree, Melrose, Greenfield, among others.
Chen is accused of controlling several grow houses in Maine as well as a home in Braintree used as a base for operations. Allegedly, profits from marijuana sales funded luxury purchases including homes and automobiles.
Searches conducted last October at properties linked to Ma and Zhu resulted in seizures of over 109 kilograms of marijuana and nearly $200,000 cash along with luxury items like a gold Rolex watch.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America aimed at combating illegal immigration and organized crime activities nationwide. U.S. Attorney Foley announced the charges alongside FBI SAC Docks and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble from the Massachusetts State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Pohl is prosecuting the case which highlights efforts under initiatives such as OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The allegations contained within the charging documents are yet to be proven; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
