One man was arrested Tuesday in connection with an illegal marijuana growing operation at this home at 754 Cooper Road in Chelsea. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of seven people this month in raids of several unlicensed cannabis grows in Whitefield, Chelsea and Jefferson. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

WHITEFIELD — Police raided seven more illegal weed operations in central Maine over the past few weeks, arresting six people and seizing over 6,000 marijuana plants after local authorities said they were tipped off by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office about unlicensed grow operations.

Marijuana plants found recently in an illegal grow operation in the Whitefield area. Courtesy of Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, which is taking a lead in the investigations, executed search warrants at three residences Tuesday, with two in Whitefield and one in Chelsea, which is in Kennebec County. Last week, officers raided three other Lincoln County homes — two in Jefferson and one in Whitefield. All of the houses were illegally run marijuana cultivation facilities, according to a Lincoln County lieutenant.

While several people were arrested in connection with the incidents, one suspect reportedly fled the area and remains at large. Police are seeking Xiangming Yi, 61, on a warrant for a felony-level charge of cultivating marijuana, following a search of 34 Clover Lane in Whitefield on Jan. 10. He is accused of having 1,014 marijuana plants at the property.

The news comes as the state’s congressional delegation has renewed calls for the Department of Justice to “crack down on illegal Chinese-run marijuana operations in Maine,” which they say are worth about $4.37 billion and could include upward of 270 residences. 

Eight other people have been arrested in the past month in connection with illegal grow operations at six homes in Belgrade, China and Cornville, which are located in Kennebec and Somerset counties, respectively. It is unclear whether any are related to each other or to the reports of illegal Chinese-run marijuana growing operations in Maine.

Lt. Mike Murphy with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department said that at this time, authorities are unsure how many illegal grow properties are out there. During the seven raids his agency has participated in over the last month, the department has seized 6,066 plants, which equals 107 pounds of processed marijuana, he said.

Murphy said he believes the marijuana is being transported out of state but that authorities are still investigating where it is being sent.

“What we found is typical of what we have seen,” Murphy said. “People from out-of-state are buying houses that are foreclosed or low-cost that are isolated and not right beside another house, and the house becomes a greenhouse. There is usually a little place for the person to stay (in the house).”

Marijuana plants found recently in an illegal grow operation in the Whitefield area. Courtesy of Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

The largest commercial grow license in Maine allows up to roughly 1,200 mature plants, and the maximum number of mature marijuana plants an adult can have at home for personal use is six.

Out of the six people arrested in Lincoln County, five were charged with unlawful trafficking in marijuana, Class B; four were charged with cultivating marijuana, Class B; and one person was charged with criminal conspiracy, Class C. None of the people arrested had marijuana grow licenses.

Charged were:

• Weihuan Liu, 41, of 91 Jefferson Road, Whitefield — 738 plants and 40 pounds of processed marijuana.

• Huan Ying Li, 57, of 333 North Howe Road, Whitefield — 27 pounds of processed marijuana.

• Zhen Zhong Chen, 45, of 170 Rockland Road, Jefferson — 820 plants.

• Ming Da Li, 41, of 754 Cooper Road, Chelsea — 900 plants.

• Wan Ting Xiao, 50, and Ding Zhan Liao, 49, of 19 Abby Lane, Whitefield — 2,294 plants and 40 pounds of processed marijuana.

• Xiangming Yi, 61, is still at large and had 1,014 plants on his property at 34 Clover Lane in Whitefield.

Law enforcement officials searched 615 Wiscasset Road in Whitefield on Tuesday, where they say they found 300 marijuana plants that were part of an illegal grow operation. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of seven people this month in raids of several homes in Whitefield, Chelsea and Jefferson. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

No suspects were named in connection to a raid at 615 Wiscasset Road in Whitefield, where police say they seized 300 plants.

Several of the people arrested had ties to New York City and one previously lived in San Gabriel, California, but officials did not release the previous residences of every person charged.

The sheriff’s office is being aided in its investigation by the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Homeland Security, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Treasury Department.

The investigation is still ongoing and the public is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Ron Rollins at 207-882-7332 or rrollins@lincolnso.me to report any information about an illegal grow operation.

Two people were arrested Tuesday in connection with an illegal marijuana growing operation at this home at 19 Abby Lane in Whitefield. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of five other people this month in raids of several other unlicensed cannabis grows in Whitefield, Chelsea and Jefferson. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal