October 24, 2023 –

This morning Police officers, building inspectors, EMTs, and other wings of law enforcement raided 301 Longhill street for an alleged “Marijuana grow operation”

According to the registry of deeds the house is owned by Tina Yi Lei, who hails from Flushing NY. She purchased the house in 2021 for $375,000.

In 2011, Cathy Luong owner of the house nextdoor, 293 Longhill, was busted for a similar marijuana grow operation worth $1m.

Neighbors said they heard a megaphone at 5:30am summoning the suspect from their home. Then, police broke down the door.

Plant pots and garbage bags stuffed with marijuana were taken from the house in a raid that lasted over 6 hours.

Workers in hazmat suits teemed on the front lawn and got to work gutting the house of it’s marijuana.

Cops said they’ve been investigating this house for a while and suspect the criminals have a drug network spreading throughout springfield with runners and dealers on the street. No guns or weapons or other drugs were found.

A police spokesman said that it takes a while for these types of raids to come to fruition. He said the suspect was caught blindsided, as officers and state police kept this investigation secret. He said they were tipped off from “sketchy behavior” occuring outside the house and some neighbors were complaining of the smell.

Officers said the operation was rather ingenius, but nothing new to Springfield. Growers post up in a quiet, safe and unsuspecting neighborhood like Cozy Corner, then outsource sales to the inner city through a network of runners and dealers.

When asked why anyone would sell weed illegally now that it’s legal to purchase, one officer said that illicit marijuana is cheaper and not taxed.

But illicit growing opertations pose both a tax and public health issue. Illegal growers obviously don’t abide by any public health safety standards or inspections, so without any oversight these illegal operations can potentially result in harmful product being released to the public. Like, for example, murmurs of a fentanyl laced marijuana product that was being sold in Springfield. However, that story was verifiably false. But with the rise of fentanyl death plaguing more hard core drugs, it echoes valid fears of unchecked illegal drug distributors.

Pictures and videos from the scene this morning:

Legality of growing weed in MA

Massachusetts allows for personal growing of up to 6 plants inside an individual home. The maximum amount of plants to be grow in 12 if there is more than one person in the home.

For first offenders, selling less than 50 pounds of marijuana is punishable by a fine of $500-$5,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 2 years. Subsequent offenses are punishable by a fine of $1,000-$10,000 and/or imprisonment for 1 – 2.5 years.

Mass. Gen. Laws. ch. 94C, § 32C

Selling or cultivating 50 – less than 100 pounds of marijuana is a felony punishable by a fine of $500-$10,000 and imprisonment for 1 – 15 years. There is a mandatory minimum term of 1 year for this offense.

Selling or cultivating 100 – less than 2000 pounds of marijuana is a felony punishable by a fine of $2,500-$25,000 and imprisonment for 2 – 15 years. There is a mandatory minimum term of 2 years imprisonment.

Selling or cultivating 2,000 – less than 10,000 pounds of marijuana with is a felony punishable by a fine of $5,000-$50,000 and is punishable by imprisonment for 3 ½ – 15 years. There is a mandatory minimum term of 3 ½ years imprisonment.

Selling or cultivating 10,000 pounds or more of marijuana with intent to distribute is a felony punishable by a fine of $20,000-$200,000 and imprisonment for 8 – 15 years. There is a mandatory minimum term of 8 years imprisonment.

Mass. Gen. Laws. ch. 94C, § 32E Web Search
If any of these offenses are committed within 300 feet of a school and if the violation occurs between 5:00 a.m. and midnight, whether or not in session, or within 100 feet of a public park, that offense is punishable by a fine of $1,000-$10,000 and imprisonment for 2 – 15 years. This offense has a mandatory minimum term of 2 years imprisonment.

Mass. Gen. Laws. ch. 94C, § 32J
Causing or inducing someone under 18 to commit any of the above offenses is punishable by a fine of $1,000-$100,000 and imprisonment for 5-15 years. This offense has a mandatory minimum term of 5 years of imprisonment.

Mass. Gen. Laws. ch. 94C, § 32K