Eight Chinese nationals were charged over illegal marijuana operations in Lincoln County, Maine.[1] Five of them — Zhen Chen, Weihuan Liu, Huan Ying Li, Mingda Li and Dingzhan Liao — were scheduled to appear in Lincoln County Unified Criminal Court for an Oct. 1 docket call.[1] Hongxia Kuang, charged Jan. 10 with cultivating marijuana, did not face that call after Maine Assistant Attorney General Jeff Baroody dismissed the charge on Sept. 5 for insufficient evidence, according to court records.[1] Chen, 45, of New York City, was charged last winter with cultivating marijuana, a Class B crime.[1]
On Jan. 10, a search team found over 500 marijuana plants with items needed for cultivation in the Chen case.[1] Liu, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested during a raid at 91 Jefferson Road in Whitefield, where law enforcement reported seizing more than 700 plants and 40 pounds of processed marijuana.[1] Huan Ying Li, 57, formerly of New York City, was arrested during a raid at 333 North Howe Road in Whitefield, where a police report showed nearly 30 pounds of processed marijuana seized.[1] Mingda Li, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested at 754 Cooper Road in Chelsea after the seizure of 900 plants.[1]
Liu was charged with unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs and cultivating marijuana, both Class B crimes.[1] Huan Ying Li was charged with trafficking more than 20 pounds of scheduled drugs, described as a Class B felony.[1] Mingda Li was charged with two counts of cultivating marijuana involving more than 900 pounds, according to court records.[1] Liao was charged with two counts of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs and cultivating marijuana.[1] Investigators linked Chen to the property through his New York State driver’s license and house deed, while property records showed Huan Ying Li had purchased her Whitefield property in November 2019.[1]
