Maine House Busted Twice in a Year for Illegal Pot Grows

Another illegal marijuana grow has been shut down in Somerset County, including the arrests of two people.

Illegal Marijuana Grow Suspects in Maine are From Massachusetts

Two people are facing charges in connection with the operation in Harmony:

• Wenfeng Chen, 51, of Malden, Massachusetts
• Xinwen Zhang, 71, of Boston, Massachusetts

Both are charged with cultivation of marijuana and unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, with cash bail set at $10,000 each. All charges were elevated to aggravated due to over 500 marijuana plants that were being cultivated and over 20 pounds of marijuana being possessed.

An Illegal Marijuana Grow Was Found in a Familiar House in Harmony

Somerset County Sheriff's Officials executed a drug search warrant on the South Road in Harmony on Tuesday morning, April 1st. The residence had been the subject of an investigation, suspected of being an illegal marijuana cultivation site. Searchers included local and federal authorities, including investigators from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy.

The two suspects were found inside the residence and taken into custody. Multiple items were seized in the search:

• 1,405 growing marijuana plants
• Approximately 100 pounds of processed marijuana
• 9mm pistol
• Ammunition
• $1,600.00 cash, suspected of being illicit drug proceeds
• 2017 Toyota Sienna van
• Other illicit drug-related materials

Officials say more charges may be forthcoming.

This operation is in the same residence that was shut down in May 2024. The Somerset County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant and seized over 1,200 marijuana plants, as well as approximately 25 pounds of processed marijuana. No one was in the home during the search, so no one was arrested.

Roughly 30,000 Illegal Marijuana Plants Have Been Seized in Somerset County

From January 2024 to the present, the Somerset County Sheriff's Office has obtained and executed 24 drug search warrants relating to illegal marijuana plant cultivation/processing activities in several communities:

• Skowhegan
• Cornville
• Canaan
• Harmony
• Ripley
• Madison
• Solon, Norridgewock
• St. Albans
• Fairfield

To date, 15 people have been arrested in connection with illegal marijuana grow houses. Those suspects are from Maine, New York, Massachusetts, California, and Washington State. Law enforcement officials continue to look for suspects connected to these operations.

Approximately 30,000 marijuana plants have been seized to date, as well as approximately 500 pounds of processed marijuana, roughly $51,000 in cash, and 6 motor vehicles.