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IOSCO COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – Four Chinese citizens are facing charges in connection with a massive illegal marijuana growing operation discovered in Iosco County.
Michigan State Police executed a search warrant Thursday at a warehouse in Alabaster Township. They located 5,057 marijuana plants inside at various stages of growth, which authorities say have a street value of more than $5 million.
Iosco County Prosecutor James Bacarella said investigators discovered evidence leading them to four people who live at an apartment on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base.
Evidence from the apartment led investigators to Meiqing Chen, Wenying Wu, Changning Zhen and a fourth suspect.
A Michigan State Police trooper spotted all four in a vehicle allegedly linked to the marijuana grow driving on U.S. 23 in Iosco County. All four suspects were arrested during the traffic stop.
Bacarella said the four suspects entered the United States legally. One of them had a GPS phone app providing driving directions to New York, leading police to believe they were attempting to flee Michigan when police pulled them over.
Authorities believe the four suspects were involved in a multi-state and multi-national organized crime ring with ties all the way back to China.
Chen, Wu and Zhen all appeared in Iosco County District Court for arraignment on felony charges of possession with intent to deliver more than 200 marijuana plants and maintaining a drug house.
All three face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took the fourth suspect into custody and they have not appeared in Iosco County courts to hear formal charges.
”}]] Iosco County authorities believe four Chinese citizens were cultivating more than 5,000 marijuana plants in a warehouse south of Tawas City. Read More
