Chinese criminal networks operating grow houses in Maine

(by Rich McHugh, News Nation) – Authorities in rural Maine are uncovering large-scale marijuana grow operations inside ordinary homes that are allegedly tied to organized Chinese criminal networks.

Search warrants have led to the discovery of hundreds — sometimes thousands — of marijuana plants inside residential homes. But authorities say the alleged crimes extend beyond illegal cannabis.

“Human trafficking, money laundering, mortgage fraud, bringing illegal pesticides into our state,” Penobscot County Sheriff Troy Morton told NewsNation.

Morton described the activity as part of what he called an “organized criminal network” operated by a Chinese group here in the U.S.

In July, the DOJ indicted seven Chinese nationals (citizens of China) on charges related to an alleged multimillion-dollar money laundering, alien smuggling [secretly bringing individuals into the U.S. unlawfully] and drug trafficking enterprise. (Read about their crimes here.)

Prosecutors said the scheme involved cultivating and distributing marijuana using interconnected grow houses inside single-family properties in Massachusetts and Maine.

Locals have seen the problem firsthand.

Al Tempesta is the building and code inspector for five towns in rural Maine. He estimates that every town has at least two or three illegal marijuana grow houses.

“The more rural you get, the more you’ll have,” Tempesta said. “They’re everywhere.”

From the outside, he said, the signs are often visible: blacked out windows and an additional power box to bring more energy in to keep the plants climate controlled.

He showed NewsNation one home where he would not approve an electrical upgrade request: “I would not sign the release because they put ‘to cultivate marijuana’ and the town did not vote marijuana in.”

In Corinna, Maine, officials found 3,700 marijuana plants inside a Chinese illegal grow. The operation was located just 50 yards away from the town offices.

Tempesta said some properties are purchased through intermediaries, sometimes with help from local real estate agents.

According to a real estate transfer tax document obtained by the Maine Wire, that same house [Tempest would not apporve an electrical upgrade] was gifted to a person living in China. The preparer listed on the transfer document was Paul Mills, a real estate attorney and eldest brother of Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat.

Paul Mills told NewsNation he had no knowledge of what was happening on the property.

“The broker I worked with in Farmington real estate transactions said she had this person that wanted to convey this to her mother,” Mills said. “That’s the total limit of my involvement whatsoever in the whole thing.”

While it is legal for Maine residents to grow small amounts of marijuana [for personal use], authorities say most of the Chinese nationals caught running illicit grows are applying for — and readily receiving — licenses to grow medical marijuana.

During a legislative meeting last year, John Hudak, director of the state’s Office of Cannabis Policy, admitted it’s a major issue.

“Under very few circumstances do we have the authority to deny individuals from the program after they have been caught up in one of these search warrant executions or because they operate out of an address that previously had a search warrant executed,” Hudak said.

Hudak added that some applicants may view the licensing system as protection.

“They’re applying so they can have a ‘get out of jail free’ card, or what they perceive as a get out of jail free card, to continue to do the operations that they’re doing,” he said, noting that much of the product is being directed out of state.

Steve Robinson, executive editor of the Maine Wire, said state police have repeatedly responded to one large cannabis growing facility he showed NewsNation, including for missing persons reports, hostage situations and armed robberies.

“The state police, in their own incident report — as early as 2021 — said that this facility was controlled by Chinese gangs from New York,” Robinson said. …

Maine Gov. Janet Mills has not addressed the issue much in public remarks. At a March 2024 press conference for the Maine Defense Industry Alliance, when asked about the national security implications of illegal Chinese-operated grow sites, Mills said the question was unrelated to the event.

Sheriff Morton said he wishes the governor would speak more directly about the issue: “It’s concerning to all of us why there’s kind of been silence about it.”

Published at NewsNationNow .com on Feb. 18. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.