A Chinese national arrested during law enforcement raids on illegal marijuana grows in March is now facing federal charges.
The 29-year-old Jiamin Liao, who has addresses in Maine, California, and New York, is facing two federal felony charges of maintaining a marijuana-involved premise after it was discovered that she was the owner of two houses, one in Norridgewock and one in Madison, which were being used to illegally cultivate marijuana.
Liao was arrested after a warrant was issued on May 15 for her arrest, and her case was unsealed Tuesday.
If she is convicted, Liao faces a forfeiture of nearly $40,000 in cash that the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office seized at the time of her arrest, as well as fines up to $500,000 and as many as 20 years in prison.
Liao was previously arrested in March during a raid by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department on three illegal marijuana facilities, which led to the seizure of 900 cannabis plants, as well as a 2022 Toyota SUV and drug paraphernalia.
She was the owner of two of the three properties: 571 Thurston Hill Rd., Madison, ME, which she has owned since May 2022, and 114 Upper Main St., Norridgewock, ME, which she has owned since December.
After her March arrest, Liao was charged with Cultivation of Marijuana (Class B, over 500 marijuana plants) and Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs (Class A, marijuana over 20 pounds).
She was issued a $10,000 cash bail, which she paid, before the issuance of the new arrest warrant for federal charges.
Liao is only the second person arrested in connection with the illegal Chinese-operated marijuana grows in Maine to face federal charges.
[RElATED: TRIAD WEED: First Chinese National Faces Federal Charges for Weed Operation in Maine…]
In April, the 67-year-old Xisen Gou, a naturalized citizen originally hailing from China, was charged with federal drug offenses.
Guo was initially arrested at an illegal marijuana grow site at 549 Main Rd., Passadumkeag, where he is supposed to be under house arrest.
When the Maine Wire visited Guo’s residence this month, he was not home and the house appeared to be abandoned.
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