FBI uncovers marijuana grow and seizes $27,000 in cash after Rocklin home catches fire
A fire at a home in Rocklin earlier this year helped authorities uncover an illegal marijuana growing operation, leading to the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars in cash, according to documents filed in federal court this week.
The complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California states the FBI received a tip in February regarding an indoor marijuana grow at a home in the 5600 block of Glen Oaks Drive in Rocklin. Through electrical records and other evidence, the FBI confirmed the likely presence of an illegal marijuana grow inside the home and connected the operation to a number of people living in Sacramento, authorities said.
In May, Rocklin firefighters and police officers responded to a report of a fire at the home. When they entered the home to ensure the safety of anyone who might have been inside, they found marijuana growing in a number of rooms throughout the residence, the complaint states. They also noticed the home’s electrical system had been illegally bypassed, a common indicator of an illegal marijuana grow, authorities said.
The following day, federal agents served a search warrant at the home, where they found more than 800 marijuana plants, marijuana ballasts and evidence linking the grow to certain residents of Sacramento, authorities said. That included a man identified in court documents as Ming Guang Chen.
FBI agents executed a search warrant at Chen’s home in the 7200 block of Long River Drive in the Pocket area. Agents found more than $27,000 in cash in a suitcase in Chen’s bedroom and four money orders worth thousands of dollars in another room, authorities said. The FBI said it investigated Chen’s employment history and determined he had no reportable income.
