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by Ariana St Pierre,WGME
BANGOR, Maine (WGME) — A New York woman is facing up to 20 years in prison for running an illegal marijuana operation in Maine.
According to the Department of Justice, 30-year-old Jiamin Liao of New York City pleaded guilty on Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to maintaining a marijuana-involved premises.
Liao bought a home in Madison in order to manufacture and distribute marijuana, according to court records.
In March 2024, authorities searched Liao’s property in Madison, as well as at a related property she owned in Norridgewock.
Deputies searched a Madison residence on Thurston Hill Road and found 551 mature marijuana plants. (Somerset County Sheriff's Office)
Deputies searched a Madison residence on Thurston Hill Road and found 551 mature marijuana plants. (Somerset County Sheriff's Office)
Investigators said they found 551 marijuana plants at the Madison property, along with chemicals and a variety of grow equipment.
Liao was located at her property in Norridgewock, and she was found with approximately 30 pounds of processed marijuana, according to investigators.
When interviewed by law enforcement, Liao reportedly admitted that she grew the processed marijuana at the Madison property. She then admitted to packaging the marijuana into one-pound bags and storing the product at the property in Norridgewock.
Neither Liao nor her property was licensed through the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy.
Liao faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000. She will be sentenced at a later time.
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