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OKLAHOMA CITY — A Chinese national has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy.
Jeff Weng, 47, of China and Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced Dec. 19, 2024,U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester said in an emailed news release Monday.
On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Weng and co-defendant Tong Lin, 29, with conspiracy to possess marijuana plants with intent to distribute. On Jan. 18, 2024, after a two-day trial, a federal jury deliberated about an hour before finding both men guilty of drug conspiracy.
According to testimony and evidence presented at their trial, between December 2022 and May 2023, Weng managed a marijuana grow in Wetumka that was licensed by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, according to the news release. Further, evidence showed Lin managed matters when Weng was not present.
One witness testified that, as part of their participation in the drug conspiracy, they drove delivery vans disguised as commercial vehicles, including one disguised as an “Amazon” delivery van, to the Wetumka grow 10 to 15 times between December 2022 and March 31, 2023, according to the news release. The witness further testified they picked up between 150 and 200 pounds of marijuana each time from the Wetumka grow, and that Lin helped load the fake “Amazon” delivery van with marijuana.
The witness testified they transported the marijuana to a stash house in Oklahoma City. Every Friday, the witness transported the marijuana from the stash house to a warehouse in Oklahoma City. There, they loaded more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana at a time into a semi-truck trailer, which transported the marijuana from Oklahoma to the East Coast, according to the news release. Over approximately seven months, the witness shipped about 56,000 pounds of marijuana out of Oklahoma via semi-truck. Evidence also showed that law enforcement searched the Wetumka grow in May 2023 and located 19,661 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, more than $100,000 of vacuum-sealed cash hidden in Weng’s closet attic space and a firearm.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Weng to serve 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Palk noted the role Weng played in a “significant” illegal marijuana operation, and the need for deterrence.
Lin had been sentenced June 17, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, along with assistance from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. It is also a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation.
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”}]] OKLAHOMA CITY — A Chinese national has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy. Read More
