By Ray Cardello for February 4, 2024, Season 1 / Post 11

Maybe this is a simple mistake. There are already legally licensed marijuana shops every mile or so on Auburn Road (RTE 4). It is understandable that someone would think it was okay to have a pot farm on the main drag through Turner, Maine. I once drove from Bear Pond up Route 4 to Jay, Maine, which is only about 13 miles. I counted 14 Pot Shops along that stretch. That is more shops per mile than you would ever find a group of Dunkin’ Donut shops. There are less than 6,000 people in Turner, but the town thinks those folks need 14 Pot Shops. Thanks to the town planners for ensuring the good folks of Turner have enough opportunities to stay high. This is why I am nervous every time I drive on RTE 4.

So, let’s get back to the Pot Farm. A large farmhouse is across the street from the Bear Pond Variety. Nothing is out of the ordinary, and it blends in with many other structures in the area. But this house has had some significant modifications, including a 400 amp power station and 10 tankless water heaters. These installations caught the attention of the utility companies that did the installations, and they may have tipped off the authorities. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that this farmhouse was owned by Chaoming Lei, or at least he claimed to be the owner when he ordered the utility upgrades. It might be a leap, but I bet this property might be one of the Chinese Cartel owned pot farms I have written about, but this one is right in our backyard. Bear Pond is a stone’s throw from the variety store and the illegal pot farm across the road.

As reported by the Maine Wire, that has been on top of this story for months:

According to Androscoggin County Registry of Deed records, the property at 2509 Auburn Road in Turner is owned by Liming Yu, a 27-year-old with previous addresses in Quincy, MA. The relationship between Yu and Lei is unclear.

Also this week, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office made six arrests stemming from multiple unrelated raids conducted at Chinese-owned properties in Kennebec County and Lincoln County. The following individuals were arrested during those raids:

• Weihuan Liu, 41, of Brooklyn, NY: Arrested during the raid of 91 Jefferson Road. More than 700 plants and 40 lbs of processed marijuana seized. 
• Huan Ying Li, 57, formerly of NYC. Arrested during the raid of 333 North Howe Road, Whitefield. Nearly 30 pounds of processed marijuana seized. According to Lincoln County property records, Li purchased the property in November 2019. 
• Zhen Zhong Chen, 45, the property owner of 170 Rockland Road, Jefferson, was arrested at his residence after the seizure of 820 plants. 
• Ming Da Li, 41, of Brooklyn, NY, arrested at 754 Cooper Road, Chelsea, after the seizure of nearly 900 plants.
• Wan Ting Xiao, 50, of San Gabriel, Ca., arrested at 19 Abby Lane, Whitefield, after the seizure of 2,294 plants and 40 pounds of processed marijuana.
• Ding Zhan Liao, 49, of Brooklyn, NY., also arrested at 19 Abby Lane.

This may seem like quite an effort and would put a dent in the Chinese Cartel’s operation, but these are but a few of the over 200 known farms operating in Maine. I reported some time ago that Senator Collins and Representative Golden had requested help from the Justice Department and Homeland Security, but their requests had not been answered. I have calls out to both offices for updates. This is a national security concern because it is not a problem unique to Maine. The Chinese Cartel also operates farms in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and California.