Two Elk Grove Residents Charged with Running Multiple Pot Grow Homes

Two Elk Grove residents face federal charges of running a ring of local pot grow homes that produced more than 700 marijuana plants, federal officials say.

Mitchell Chang, 45, and Kelly Liang, 35, were indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday, and face charges of manufacturing marijuana and conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

A press release from the Department of Justice says the pair is accused of growing and processing pot in 2008 and in 2013.

If convicted, they face a minimum of five years in prison for each charge and a maximum of 40 years in prison for each. Each charge could also carry up to a $5 million fine.

The full press release follows:

ELK GROVE COUPLE CHARGED WITH INDOOR MARIJUANA CULTIVATION

Sacramento, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that yesterday a federal grand jury returned a five-count superseding indictment charging Elk Grove residents, Mitchell Chang, 45 and Kelly Liang, 35, with multiple counts of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, and manufacturing of marijuana. Court documents provide that in 2008 and again in 2013, Chang and Liang, maintained multiple Elk Grove area homes, wherein they cultivated, manufactured, and processed over 700 marijuana plants in total.

This case is the product of a joint investigation by the Elk Grove Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Olusere Olowoyeye is prosecuting the case.The statutory penalty for a violation of the conspiracy charge is a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum possible penalty up to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.

The statutory penalty for manufacturing at least 100 marijuana plants is a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum possible penalty up to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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