Three charged in Canadian County marijuana grow – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer

EL RENO – Three people have been accused of violating state law in an Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics investigation into an Okarche marijuana grow operation.

Okarche’s Jeison J. Portuguez Valverde, 29; Okarche’s Zhi Yu (Tony) Liu, 47; and Sacramento, Calif.’s Co Vi (Richard) Trinh, 46; were formally charged July 11 in Canadian County District Court with three counts:

• Cultivation of controlled substance.
• Maintaining place for keeping/selling controlled substance.
• Possession of controlled dangerous substance without tax stamp affixed.

Count one is a felony punishable by not more than 10 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $50,000.

Count two is a felony punishable by not more than five years in prison and a fine not more than $10,000.

Count three is a misdemeanor punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Assistant District Attorney Walter Mengden has accused Valverde, Liu and Trinh of “cultivating marijuana, botanically known as cannabis sativa L.” at a building in Okarche in violation of Oklahoma’s Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act.

The three men illegally possessed the marijuana without affixing the “appropriate tax stamp,” according to charging documents.

Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation agents and Canadian County sheriff’s deputies on June 27 executed a search warrant at the active marijuana grow in the 14300 block of Evans Road in Okarche.

Canadian County District Judge…