UPDATE: Shortly after publication of this story, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office announced that it had apprehended Jian Ji Wu, 63, in connection with the search warrant it executed Tuesday in Canaan. Wu will be held on $25,000 cash bail.
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster executed a significant drug search warrant on Tuesday, uncovering an extensive illegal marijuana cultivation operation in Canaan, Maine.
The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Division conducted the raid at a residence on Hinckley Road around 9 a.m., following a months-long investigation into suspected illicit activities.
“This search warrant is part of a broader investigation, with authorities having executed 16 warrants on residences connected to similar illegal marijuana cultivation activities, all exhibiting a consistent pattern of operations,” Sheriff Lancaster said.
According to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office, Detective Lieutenant Carl Gottardi II led the search team, which included five Sheriff’s Office detectives, three Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies, three Waterville Police Department detectives, an agent from the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, an agent from the Department of Homeland Security, and two investigators from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy. The Somerset County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office provided additional support.
The raid resulted in the seizure of 859 marijuana plants, over 30 pounds of processed marijuana, and various pieces of drug-related paraphernalia and documentation.
No individuals were present at the residence during the search.
The Town of Canaan Code Enforcement Officer was also on scene due to identified safety and health violations.
Criminal charges for cultivation of marijuana (Class B, over 500 plants) and trafficking in scheduled drugs (Class B, over 20 pounds of marijuana) are expected once the individuals involved are located.
The property, located at 14 Hinckley Road, was purchased in 2020 by Jian Ji Wu, 63, who at the time of the purchase listed an address in Skowhegan.
The Somerset County raid came just one day after the Piscataquis County Sheriff executed search warrants on properties in Milo and Brownville.
“One warrant was executed in the Town of Milo where 2200 marijuana plants were confiscated,” the office said in a statement posted to Facebook. “The second search warrant was executed in the Town of Brownville where 660 plants were confiscated.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the Milo Police Department, the Office of Cannabis Policy, the Department of Homeland Security, and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency were involved in the raid — but not the Maine State Police.
No arrests were made at this time.
The Piscataquis sheriff’s office said it has now executed ten search warrants on illicit marijuana grows since Feb. 9, resulting in the seizure of approximately 12,300 plants, and 216 pounds of processed cannabis flower.
Piscataquis County residents told the Maine Wire that the search warrants targeted a property at 421 Elm Street near the end of the Lyford Road.
That property was purchased in Oct. 2022 by Chenxi Wang, previously of Brooklyn.
Wang also has ties to the 473 Main Road property in Brownville that was the subject of a search warrant.
Wang purchased the house in Feb. 2021 before selling it to Xiuwen Chen, the current owner, in May 2022.
Registry records also list Wang as the owner of a property in Greenbush at 263 Cardville Road.
20 years ago, there were about 20 oriental people working at the Wok Inn, maybe 3 in Farmington, and a couple other scattered around the state… Any time a house is purchased in Rural Maine that’s no where near a Chinese Food restaurant, it’s for growing marijuana…