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MCCLAIN COUNTY, Okla. — A fake Amazon delivery van led Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) agents to an illegal marijuana operation in McClain County Monday.
OBN says Monday, agents with OBN’s Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) conducted a search warrant at Bright Stones LLC in Lindsey as part of an investigation into illegal activity.
Thousands of marijuana plants and hundreds of pounds of processed marijuana were seized at the scene.
OBN says this all started in January when Missouri State Police stopped a fake Amazon van for several traffic violations after entering Missouri from Oklahoma.
“A search of the van uncovered 246 pounds of packaged marijuana which had recently been picked up at the location in Lindsey,” said OBN Spokesman Mark Woodward. “OBN began an investigation into this black-market shipment and discovered Bright Stones LLC had obtained its license by fraud, using a ‘straw ownership’ scheme. The main target of this investigation has been linked to several other illegal marijuana operations in Oklahoma.”
Woodward said the straw owner basically admitted to putting the business in his name.
“When we checked the ownership of the organization and interviewed the so called owner of this farm, he basically admitted that he was paid just to put his name down as the owner when he actually had no knowledge of the business whatsoever,” Woodward said.
Woodward said dealers are setting up in Oklahoma to cut down their travel time so they can get to the east coast faster.
“We don’t want these people in our backyard, across the roads from schools and families, whether its in downtown Tulsa or out in rural Oklahoma. They are trying to get here as quick as they can because there are criminal groups that are trying to maximize their profit growing it cheap here and selling it for exorbitant profit when it gets to the east coast,” Woodward said.
OBN says MET agents seized 9,143 plants and 215 pounds of processed marijuana. Arrests are pending as the investigation continues.
Woodward said the main target in the investigation has been identified. They are still looking for everyone else who could be involved in what they’re calling the black market shipment. Those charges could consist of trafficking, aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance and fraud for the fraudulent documents.
According to OBN, MET agents have shut down over 3,000 marijuana grows, arrested over 300 people and seized over 1 million pounds of marijuana in black market investigations.
“As a result of these OBN enforcement efforts, Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program has seen a drastic reduction in the number of criminal organizations operating illegal farms in Oklahoma,” said OBN Director Donnie Anderson. “OBN Registrations for growers dropped from 9,400 in 2021, to 6,400 in 2022, and today that number is down to approximately 3,200.”
Anyone with information about criminal drug activity can anonymously DM details to OBN via Facebook or call the OBN Tip-line at 1-800-522-8031.
”}]] A fake Amazon delivery van led OBN agents to an illegal marijuana operation in McClain County Monday. Read More