New York woman pleads guilty in Somerset County illegal marijuana grow operation
New York woman pleads guilty in Somerset County illegal marijuana grow operation ===
Somerset County sheriff’s deputies reportedly found hundreds of marijuana plants and roughly 30 pounds of processed marijuana between two properties.
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Author: NEWS CENTER Maine Staff
Published: 11:55 PM EST January 12, 2026
Updated: 11:55 PM EST January 12, 2026
BANGOR, Maine — A 30-year-old woman from New York City has pleaded guilty in federal court in Bangor to running an illegal marijuana grow operation in Somerset County.
According to court records, Jiamin Liao bought a home in Madison to grow and sell marijuana, a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine states. In March 2024, Somerset County sheriff’s deputies searched that property and another home Liao owned in Norridgewock. At the Madison house, investigators found 551 marijuana plants, chemicals, and grow equipment, the release states.
Authorities said Liao was found at the Norridgewock property with about 30 pounds of processed marijuana. She later told investigators the marijuana had been grown in Madison, packaged into one-pound bags, and stored in Norridgewock.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said neither Liao nor either property was licensed by the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy.
Liao faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. A judge will decide her sentence after reviewing a presentence report.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations, with help from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, according to the release.
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Source: News Center Maine
Locations: Bangor, York
Region: Central