Chanh Nguyen is seated next to temporary defense attorney Rachael Tiller, while his co-defendants look on; far right is Nga Dong and adjacent is Hai Son Le
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – After a 33-year-old San Jose man was arrested for growing more than 600 marijuana plants at property he said he rents from his sister-in-law across the street from Vader City Hall early this month, drug detectives found power records inside his vehicle for an address on Nelson Road north of Winlock.
When the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant this week on Nelson Road, they found more than 1,500 plants in a two-story outbuilding growing in five separate rooms and two other growing rooms in the residence, along with packaging equipment and materials.
Power consumption records from Lewis County PUD showed over 120,000 kilowatt hours for the last billing cycles.
The electric bill was in the name of Chanh Nguyen, 39, from San Jose, according to authorities.
Nguyen and two other men were found in the outbuilding on Thursday by deputies when the search was conducted and were arrested.
Nguyen said he rents the property for about $1,700 a month, had been there for about four months and did not have authorization for the grow, according to prosecutors.
Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher was clearly frustrated when the three men were brought before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court yesterday afternoon.
“This is not a couple of hippies growing a couple of plants in the backyard,” Meagher said.
The unlawful indoor growing operation was huge, perhaps the largest he has seen in Lewis County, according to Meagher.
“This is at least the fourth one we’ve had this year, like this,” he said.
Manufacture of marijuana is a class C felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the same punishment as simple possession of narcotics.
“I just don’t know how you can look at the size of this and not think it’s organized crime,” Meagher said.
He asked for $100,000 bail for each of the three defendants, but Judge Joely O’Rourke imposed $50,000 and restricted their travel to Western Washington.
Also appearing before the judge were Hai Son Le, 39, Fort Lauderdale and Nga Dong, 65, also from Fort Lauderdale. All three used the services of a Vietnamese translator.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office charged them with manufacture of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver or manufacture, and possession of marijuana.
Charging documents in the case describe a set up with numerous grow lights, air-moving fans and carbon filters which Meagher said are used to keep the odor from drifting outdoors.
Outside the courtroom, Meagher said he doesn’t yet know who owns the house on Nelson Road.
This case grew out of the Vader case, which in turn, was discovered because the Vader arrestee’s driver’s license was found at a growing operation in Grayland in Pacific County.
That was part of a series of at least 50 search warrants served in Grays Harbor and two other counties late last month. The Grays Harbor County Drug Task Force oversaw the arrests and seizure of more than 32,000 marijuana plants valued in excess of $80 million.
It followed an investigation into illegal marijuana growing operations by Chinese nationals, primarily in homes purchased with cash for that purpose.
Grays Harbor County Sheriff Rick Scott told The (Aberdeen) Daily World the reason 31 of the suspects were released without charges was it appeared they were brought to the United States from China under the impression they would pay off their debt of transportation and other costs after the crop was sold, a crop they were led to believe was legal; he called it a form of human trafficking.
Asked if any similar claim of being victims of human trafficking had come up in this case, Meagher said two of the defendants didn’t or couldn’t talk with law enforcement when they were arrested.
“I don’t have anything solid, but I have a suspicion,” Meagher said.
Temporary defense attorney Rachael Tiller said after the court hearing, it seemed to her the three men did not know each other.
Their arraignments are scheduled for Jan. 4 in Lewis County Superior Court.
All three men appear to have bailed out of the Lewis County Jail shortly after midnight last night, according to the jail’s online roster.
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For background, read:
• “Vader indoor marijuana nursery shut down” from Tuesday December 12, 2017, here
• “Illegal marijuana growing by Chinese nationals targeted in Grays Harbor County” from Tuesday November 28, 2017, here
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Defendants left to right: Chanh Nguyen, Hai Son Le and Nga Dong talk with a Vietnamese interpreter before their bail hearing
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