Couple held over pot garden near Waterford school

WATERFORD -- A married couple were indicted Thursday on federal drug charges. They're accused of growing nearly 500 marijuana plants on a chicken ranch not far from Waterford High School.

Federal prosecutors said Saelee Fahn Meng and her husband, John Yaohinh Lee, of Waterford, were growing 491 marijuana plants on a 20-acre parcel of farmland, which was about 450 feet from the high school and violated state and federal laws.

Narcotics investigators say they found and seized the marijuana Aug. 28 at the chicken ranch in the 11000 block of Yosemite Boulevard. The investigators said the plants weighed a total of 8,880 pounds could have produced an estimated $1.2 million in sales after harvesting and processing.

Cultivating marijuana near a school carries an enhanced penalty, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Sacramento.

For that alleged offense, the prosecutors said Lee, if convicted, faces a sentence of five to 80 years in federal prison and a $10 million fine. Meng faces a sentence of up to 120 years in prison and a $30 million fine if she is convicted.

This case is a result of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Stanislaus Drug Enforcement Agency.

Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or (209) 578-2394.