Three arrested following raid on Braman marijuana grow facility

NEWKIRK — At least three people have been arrested and charged in Kay County District Court with drug trafficking following last week’s raid on a marijuana grow facility in Braman.

Jack Man Lee, 48, San Francisco, Cailf.,  Justin Zhang, 52, and Larry Dean Lunn, 58,  both of Ponca City, are facing felony charges of trafficking in illegal drugs, cultivation of a controlled substance and conspiracy to traffic in illegal drugs.

Bond for Lee and Zhang is set for $150,000 and Lunn is free on a medical bond.

On Sept, 28, agents with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics executed a search warrant at the grow facility located in the former Braman High School, located near 4th and Kimmel. (see story)

Agents reportedly seized nearly 19,000 marijuana plants and approximately 500 pounds of proceeded marijuana.

Investigators report that the location was operating without an OBN registration, which is required by state law.

Investigators report that Lee is part owner and investor of the business and holds 250 shares. He reportedly denied ownership of the business and denied working at the location. He said he was there visiting friends.

Zhang was reportedly identified as the person in charge of the facility and pays workers their weekly wages. Investigators report that he had a set of janitorial keys to the building and was able to provide the combination code to the safe.

During an interview he reportedly said he was the manager of three to five marijuana rooms and over two workers but denied being the supervisor for the entire facility. He reportedly refused to name the person who drops off the money to pay the workers with.

Investigators report that Lunn owns 7,500 shares of the business, (75 percent of the business) and is listed as 75 percent owner of Lavender Cultivation LLC and Jiang Production LLC which have been denied by the OBN registration office.

During an interview he reportedly said his duties include watering, general labor, tending to plants and harvesting marijuana. He said he gets paid weekly like all workers.

Agents report that it is common practice of fraud in obtaining an OMMA license and OBN registration is the straw purchase of the license and or registration. Because of the 75 percent Oklahoma residence requirement, many non-Oklahoma residents see out a resident to put their name on the license to assist the non-Oklahoma resident obtain a license in exchange for payment. The Oklahoma resident will not have nay actual interest in the grow operation and will not receive any financial proceeds from the sale of the product.

The three are set to appear in court this month.