News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2008
Contact: Jodie Underwood
Number: (206) 553-5443

Kent Garden Supply Owner Sentenced to 41 Months

JUN 13 -- (Seattle) – DEA Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Arnold R. Moorin and the United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Jeffrey Sullivan, announced that Le My Nguyen, a resident of SeaTac, Washington was sentenced on June 13, 2008 to 41 months’ imprisonment for her leadership role in a pot growing conspiracy. Nguyen was ordered to forfeit more than $750,000 in cash and equipment. At the time of Nguyen’s guilty plea she admitted to laundering as much as 2.5 million dollars in drug proceeds.

In April 2007, Nguyen’s business, Kent Garden Supply was raided by law enforcement following an investigation that revealed the company knowingly provided supplies and equipment to other conspirators in growing marijuana. Nguyen and others provided advise on how to grow marijuana as well as how to find suitable houses for the grows, how to avoid detection of law enforcement, and how to avoid forfeiture of assets by the government. Some conspirators were provided supplies and equipment on credit with the promise to pay the debt from their marijuana crop profit.

During the one year investigation, law enforcement seized thousands of marijuana plants from more than 30 indoor marijuana grow houses where the equipment and supplies had been obtained from Kent Garden Supply.

At sentencing, U.S District Court Judge Robert S. Lasnik noted that Nguyen “was deeply involved in a serious criminal enterprise.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, King County Sheriff’s Office, Seattle Police Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team.