KEIZER, Ore. — Ten people are facing charges after authorities seized thousands of marijuana plants and more than a quarter-million dollars in cash during a major illegal grow bust in the Salem-Keizer area, according to the Keizer Police Department (KPD).
Around 9 a.m. Tuesday, several local agencies, along with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, served six search warrants at residential locations where marijuana manufacturing was suspected, police said in a news release.
The agencies seized a total of 4,085 marijuana plants, 273 pounds of processed marijuana in one-pound packages and $280,802 in cash, among other things related to marijuana production and distribution.
Police estimated the street value of the processed marijuana to be about $278,000 in Oregon. They said the plants may have produced upward of $8 million worth of marijuana once fully grown.
"A total of 2,100 pounds of processed marijuana and plant material were seized and destroyed," police said.
Although marijuana is legal in Oregon for medical and recreational use, the amount seized far exceeded the limits allowed under state law.
The department noted that the marijuana grows were problematic for the neighborhoods where they were located.
"Entire living spaces were dedicated to cultivating marijuana," police said. "Four of the six homes were declared uninhabitable due to dangerous wiring modifications, chemical contamination, and substantial mold growth. Children were living in two of the residences."
An investigation into the marijuana grows started in October 2021, when KPD's Community Response Unit was alerted to possible illegal activity at a home on Northshire Court NE in Keizer.
From the initial investigation, authorities were able to connect substantial amounts of marijuana to five other addresses. Several of the arrested and other people associated with those addresses also own homes in Georgia, where the street value of marijuana is much higher.
The search warrants were executed at the following addresses:
- 6996 River Rd N, Keizer
- 1077 Northshire Ct. NE, Keizer
- 2445 Tynel Ct NE, Keizer
- 250 Kashmir Ct SE, Salem
- 4753 Lisa St NE, Salem
- 4826 Manning Dr NE, Salem
The following people are facing criminal charges in connection to the bust:
47 year-old Shi Lu SU:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
45 year-old Xiyan Xie:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
47 year-old Shi Lu SU:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
45 year-old Xiyan Xie:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
40 year-old Xishi Xie:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
68 year-old Ming Xie:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
42 year-old Xizhi Xie:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
43 year-old Dong Su:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
48 year-old Chen Wuwen:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
48 year-old Chen Wuwen:
- Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana
- Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
- Attempted Delivery of Marijuana
All of them are scheduled to appear in Marion County court on March 3.
