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New York Man Pleads Guilty in Maine Grow-House and Mortgage-Fraud Case

The plea follows a multiagency probe targeting unlicensed grow houses in Maine.

Overview

  • He admitted in U.S. District Court in Bangor to maintaining a marijuana-involved premises and making a false statement to a bank.
  • He bought the Saint Albans property with an $80,000 mortgage after falsely claiming he would occupy it as his primary residence.
  • Prosecutors say he used the home to cultivate marijuana from September 2020 through January 2024 and sold product to buyers in Massachusetts.
  • A January 2025 federal search confirmed cultivation and distribution activity, and the property was not licensed by the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy.
  • A bank fraud charge was dismissed under a plea agreement; he faces maximum penalties of 30 years on the mortgage count and 20 years on the drug count, with sentencing to follow a presentence report while he remains on bail.