News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2010
Contact: Gordon Taylor
Number: 916-480-7200
Indoor
Marijuana Cultivation Ring Dismantled
Group
Connected to Grows in Elk Grove, Sacramento,
Milpitas, and San Jose areas
JUL
1 -- (Sacramento, Calif.) – Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant
Special Agent in Charge Gordon Taylor
and Elk Grove Police Department Chief
Robert Lehner, announced today the culmination
of a large scale indoor marijuana grow
investigation that began in the Elk Grove
area and led law enforcement to the San
Francisco Bay Area. This enforcement
operation resulted in the service of
15 federal search warrants, the arrest
of 9 individuals, the seizure of 7 indoor
marijuana growing operations ranging
from very sophisticated to modest, and
nearly 2,500 marijuana plants. These
indoor marijuana grows had the capacity to
produce over one ton of marijuana annually,
with an estimated street value of nearly
$10 million dollars.
The
Elk Grove Police Department began this
investigation and shortly thereafter requested
assistance from the DEA Sacramento District
Office, Immigration Customs Enforcement
(ICE) and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal
Investigation Division (IRS-CI). Law enforcement
conducted an extensive investigation into
this organization. According to the affidavit
in support of the criminal complaint, officers
identified several residences in the Sacramento
region and Bay Area that were allegedly
being used as marijuana cultivation sites
by the group.
“The
proliferation of indoor marijuana grows
remains a serious issue in the Sacramento
region. These locations have the potential
for fires, many homes are left with molds,
and poisonous pesticides are often poured
down drains and into our water systems.
DEA will be persistent in tracking these
criminal organizations that set up shop
in our neighborhoods and pose a threat
to members of the community,” stated
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gordon
Taylor.
On
June 30, 2010, 15 federal search warrants
were served at multiple residences in Elk
Grove, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco,
San Jose, and Milpitas. Law enforcement
discovered marijuana grows at the following
locations:
- 9276
Balboa Park, Elk Grove, CA (1,097 marijuana
plants seized)
- 9277
Starfish Way, Elk Grove, CA (298 marijuana
plants seized)
- 7109
Lawnwood Drive, Sacramento, CA (98 marijuana
plants seized)
- 8628
German Drive, Sacramento, CA (109 marijuana
plants seized)
- 2714
Rainfield Drive, San Jose, CA (359 marijuana
plants seized)
- 821
Stickroth Drive, Milpitas, CA (493 marijuana
plants seized)
- 6656
Foothill Blvd., #A, Oakland, CA (10 marijuana
plants seized)
Agents
subsequently confirmed that power theft
was occurring at each grow location, except
for the residence at 6656 Foothill Blvd.,
#A, in Oakland.
As
a result of the operation officers arrested
9 individuals allegedly associated with
the grow sites. The affidavit details the
specific roles members of the organizations
held. A “supervisor” had a
more significant role in the organization,
shared connections with other “supervisors”,
associated with one another, and had access
to more than one indoor marijuana growing
operation. The “workers” appeared
to have limited association with only one
or two “supervisors”, and their
primary role was believed to be tending
to the plants at the marijuana grow site,
staying at the location for hours or days
at a time, watering, trimming, and processing
the marijuana for sales.
The
following individuals were arrested on
June 30, 2010, in connection with the investigation:
Nhung Thi Vu, 51, of San Francisco, Hung
Ngoc Pham, 28, of Sacramento, Cuong Thoi
Long, 54, of Sacramento, Diep Hoang Vu,
38, of Oakland, Phuong Pham, 35, of Sacramento,
Quoc Bui Long, 44, of San Jose, Chien Minh
Le, 41, of Oakland, Thuy Thi Tran, 51,
of Oakland, and Tuan Chu, 28, city of residence
is unknown. All individuals are charged
with conspiracy to manufacture at least
1,000 marijuana plants, manufacturing marijuana,
and knowingly maintaining a place for manufacturing
marijuana. All defendants had their initial
appearance in Federal Court in Sacramento
on July 1, 2010.
The
Elk Grove Police Department, DEA Sacramento
District Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal
Investigations Division, and Immigration
Customs Enforcement conducted this investigation,
with assistance from the U.S. Marshals
Service, Attorney General’s Bureau
of Narcotic Enforcement, Sacramento Police
Department, El Dorado County Sheriff’s
Office, California Highway Patrol, Central
Valley HIDTA, the DEA offices in San Francisco,
San Jose, Oakland, Fresno, Bakersfield,
and Redding, and the United States Attorney’s
Office in the Eastern District of California.
If
convicted of conspiracy to manufacture
marijuana and manufacturing marijuana,
the defendants face a mandatory minimum
prison sentence of 10 years, a maximum
prison term of life, and a fine of up to
$4,000,000. If convicted of maintaining
a place for manufacturing marijuana, the
defendants face a maximum prison term of
20 years and a fine of up to $500,000. The
actual sentence, however, will be determined
at the discretion of the court after consideration
of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which
take into account a number of variables
and any applicable statutory sentencing
factors.
The
charges are only allegations and the defendants
are presumed innocent until and unless
proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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