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Date: 06-18-2019

Case Style:

United States of America v. Qifeng Li, Xiamin Huang and Qiwei Li

Case Number: 2:18-cr-00124-JCC

Judge: John C. Coughenour

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (King County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Joe Silvio, Marie Dalton and Michelle Jensen

Defendant's Attorney: Michael A. Sheinberg and Michael G. Martin for Qifeng Li


Edgar L. Fankbonner, Stephanie M. Gai and Stacey A. Van Malden for Xiamin Huang


Jennifer E. Horwitz for Qiwei Li

Description:




Seattle, WA - Members of International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to Prison

Defendants used Cash from China to Purchase and Operate Marijuana Grow Houses – Set up Shipping Company to Move Thousands of Pounds of Black Market Marijuana to East Coast

Three members of an international drug trafficking organization were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle to prison terms ranging from 24-32 months for distributing more than a thousand kilograms of illegal marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. The defendants pleaded guilty in March 2019, admitting in their plea agreements that they used money from conspirators in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to purchase homes in the Puget Sound area that they used for marijuana production. QIFENG LI, 41, was sentenced to 32 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release, his wife XIAMIN HUANG, 39, was sentenced to two years in prison and two years of supervised release, and brother QIWEI LI, 45, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Of the three, QIWEI LI is the only one who is not a U.S. Citizen and faces deportation following his prison term. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said this was “an extensive and sophisticated grow operation over a multi-year period.”

“Foreign money is increasingly used to create networks of illegal and unsafe grow houses, blighting our neighborhoods and defeating the closely regulated marijuana marketplace the State of Washington pledged to create,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “These illegal grow houses are toxic from chemicals, pose a fire risk from jury-rigged wiring, and are targeted for violent strong-armed robberies. These defendants are forfeiting more than $1 million in cash and properties, but they are fortunate they escaped being shot or killed at one of their illegal grows.”

According to the facts admitted in the plea agreement, between July 2015 and May 2018, the conspirators purchased homes in Burien, Kent, Seattle and Tukwila, which they used exclusively for marijuana production. More than $598,000 was wired to the conspirators from China to fund the purchases. The defendants shipped more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana to the New York City area, via FedEx, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service and a private freight forwarder. Ultimately, in an effort to streamline distribution, the conspirators established a shipping company, Pony Movers, LLC, to transport their marijuana from Western Washington to a warehouse in Little Ferry, New Jersey. The defendants then deposited the profits from the marijuana enterprise into their bank accounts in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid financial reporting requirements.

QIFENG LI and XIAMIN HUANG are U.S. citizens. QIWEI LI is a Lawful Permanent Resident who likely will face deportation following his prison term.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.

The Investigation was led by DEA and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI). Significant investigative assistance was also provided by the Seattle Police Department and FBI.


Charges:


Qifeng Le:


Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Marihuana 21:841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846
(1)


Xiamin Huang


Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Marihuana 21:841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846
(1)


Qiwei Li:


Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Marihuana 21:841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846
(1)

Outcome: 06/18/2019 152 Minute Entry for proceedings held before U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour; CRD: Paul Pierson; AUSA: Joseph Silvio; Def Cnsl: Michael Sheinberg & Michael Martin; USPO: Andrea Porter; Court Reporter: Nicki Drury; Time of Hearing: 9:00 a.m.; Courtroom: 16206; Interpreter: Marissa Hsu (standby); Language: Cantonese; SENTENCING was held on 6/18/2019 for Qifeng Li on the Single Count Indictment as follows: Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - 32 MONTHS; Supervised Release - 4 YEARS; Special Assessment - $100; Fine - WAIVED; Right to Appeal - LIMITED & W/IN 14 DAYS; and, Defendant remanded to custody pending BOP designation. (PP) (Entered: 06/18/2019)
06/18/2019 153 JUDGMENT as to Qifeng Li by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour. (cc: USPO, PTS, FLU, Fin., USMO, Sea Tac Det) (PP) (Main Document 153 replaced on 6/18/2019) (PM). (Entered: 06/18/2019)
06/18/2019 NOTICE of Docket Text Modification as to defendant Qifeng Li re 153 Judgment: incorrect pdf initially attached. Replaced with Judgment for Qifeng Li. Notice of Electronic Filing regenerated for Judgment 153 . (PM) (Entered: 06/18/2019)


06/18/2019 148 Minute Entry for proceedings held before U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour; CRD: Paul Pierson; AUSA: Joseph Silvio; Def Cnsl: Edgar Fankbonner; USPO: Andrea Porter; Court Reporter: Nicki Drury; Time of Hearing: 9:00 a.m.; Courtroom: 16206; Interpreter: Marissa Hsu; Language: Cantonese; SENTENCING held on 6/18/2019 for Xiamin Huang on Count 1 of an Indictment as follows: Bureau of Prisons - 24 MONTHS; Supervised Release - 2 YEARS; Special Assessment - $100; Fine - WAIVED; Right to Appeal - LIMITED & W/IN 14 DAYS; and, Defendant remanded to custody. (PP) (Entered: 06/18/2019)
06/18/2019 149 JUDGMENT as to Xiamin Huang by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour. (cc: USPO, PTS, FLU, Fin., USMO, Sea Tac Det) (PP) (Entered: 06/18/2019)


06/18/2019 150 Minute Entry for proceedings held before U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour; CRD: Paul Pierson; AUSA: Joseph Silvio; Def Cnsl: Stavey Van Maiden & Jennifer Horwitz; USPO: Andrea Porter; Court Reporter: Nicki Drury; Time of Hearing: 9:00 a.m.; Courtroom: 16206; Interpreter: Marissa Hsu; Language: Cantonese; SENTENCING was held on 6/18/2019 for Qiwei Li on the Single Count Indictment as follows: Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - 30 MONTHS; Supervised Release - WAIVED; Special Assessment - $100; Fine - WAIVED; Right to Appeal - LIMITED & W/IN 14 DAYS; and, Defendant remanded to custody pending BOP designation. (PP) (Entered: 06/18/2019)
06/18/2019 151 JUDGMENT as to Qiwei Li by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour. (cc: USPO, PTS, FLU, Fin., USMO, Sea Tac Det) (PP) (Entered: 06/18/2019)

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