On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, the Oregon State Police (OSP) Southwest Region (SWR) Drug Enforcement Section (DES) team served an illegal marijuana search warrant in the 300 block of Gene Brown Rd. O’Brien, Josephine County.
As a result, 3,547 illegal marijuana plants contained in five (5) large greenhouses, were located, seized, and ultimately destroyed. Additionally, the property is subject to multiple code violations through Josephine County Code Enforcement, for unpermitted structures (greenhouses), unpermitted water tanks, unpermitted electrical installations, and illegal water diversion from a nearby waterway.
Josephine County will move forward with enforcement action against the property owner which could result in closure of the property for one calendar year (illegal drug cultivation) and possible civil forfeiture.
The investigation is on-going and no further information is available at this time.
On July 6, 2022, the Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) executed a search warrant in the 1300 block of Frontage Road and the 80 block of Speaker Road, Wolf Creek, regarding illegal marijuana grow sites.
During the execution of the search warrants approximately 14,000 marijuana plants located inside multiple greenhouses and indoor grow facilities were seized and destroyed. In addition to the growing marijuana plants, approximately 7,000 pounds of processed marijuana was located in one of the outbuildings.
Josephine County Code Enforcement responded to the scene and identified multiple code violations to include electrical and solid waste issues and misappropriation of water by taking it from a creek. The power has since been turned off due to electrical issues and the property is subject to potential seizure by the county. Josephine County Code Enforcement will continue to interact with the property owner in an attempt to resolve the numerous code violations.
58 year-old Chen Fengzhi and 41 year-old Liang Zhao were taken into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Manufacturing of Marijuana and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana.
Courtesy of OSP & JMET
