A Chandler man who allegedly obtained an OMMA license and OBN registration fraudulently has been charged with trafficking illegal drugs and more than 10,000 marijuana plants were discovered and destroyed.
Kenneth Chen, 50, was formally charged in Lincoln County District Court on March 26 with the felony charge. He appeared before Special Judge Emily Mueller on March 22 and she set his bond at $75,000.
She scheduled the matter for April 11.
The charge accuses Chen on Jan. 3, 2024 of possessing 70 pounds of marijuana, a Controlled Dangerous Susbtance.
In a probable cause affidavit, prepared by Agent Brandt Robbins of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, he states that on Aug. 16, 2021, according to the OBN medical marijuana registration database Thentia, that Four Seasons Farm LLC first received its OBN registration to operate as a medical marijuana manufacturer.
The packet submitted to OBN to obtain the registration for Four Seasons Farm listed a subject named Bryon Leonhardt as the 100 percent owner.
The farm is located at 840816 S. 3370 Road in Chandler in Lincoln County.
During the investigation, Leonhardt advised the OBN agent he never provided any capital for the marijuana grow and was only present to sign his name on documents. The affidavit states, “Leonhardt essentially admitted to being a straw owner for Chen on paper.”
It further states that Chen submitted paperwork to OMMA and OBN fraudulently claiming that Leonhardt was the owner of the business and was granted the OMMA license and OBN registration.
Robbins reported that after an interview with Leonhardt on Feb. 9, 2023, he surrendered the OBN registration for Four Seasons Farm LLC.
According to the affidavit, on Nov. 30, 2023, a robbery investigation was conducted by the Moore Police Department. Two subjects, Danny Mai and Eliab Yi purportedly were the victims claiming they were robbed and their car stolen.
In the affidavit it’s stated that a Moore Police detective believed Mai and Yi each rented an Air BnB in Moore and used the two locations as marijuana stash houses and locations to conduct illegal marijuana sales.
Mai and Yi were ultimately robbed and beat up by two subjects from Texas who robbed them and stole their car that later was recovered by Moore PD, impounded and officers obtained a search warrant for its in-car dash camera.
It was determined later that Mai and Yi on Nov. 29, 2023 traveled to Four Seasons Farm LLC in Chandler. Agent Robbins states in the affidavit that Mai and Yi purchased marijuana from Chen off the books or “black market” while at Chen’s farm. That marijuana is believed to be the same marijuana stolen from Mai and Yi by the subjects from Texas.
In the affidavit it’s stated the Lincoln County Assessor shows Chen to be the landowner of 840816 S. 3370 Road, in Chandler.
OBN Agents on Jan. 3, 2024 performed an inspection at Four Seasons Farm LLC. Agent Robbins says he met with Chen and helped conduct the inspection.
Bryon Leonhardt was not there at that time.
Chen advised the agent he was the property owner.
On March 21, 2024, according to the affidavit, Agent Robbins, along with OBN Agents and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant at Four Seasons Farm.
Upon the search of Chen’s residence at 840816 S. 3370 Road, Chandler, a total of 10,983 plants were discovered in greenhouses on the property, seized and destroyed, along with 70 pounds of processed marijuana.