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Crime & Courts

Six Indicted in Nevada Federal Court Over Las Vegas Marijuana Grow Operation

A federal grand jury has charged six Las Vegas residents in connection with an alleged illegal marijuana grow operation across four sites.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 19, 2026, 5:28 p.m. ET
On August 19, 2026, a federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned a 10-count indictment charging six Chinese nationals residing in Las Vegas for their alleged involvement in an illegal marijuana grow operation, according to court documents from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada. The defendants—Changtian Mai, Hoi Man Mak (also known as Antares Mak), Shengsheng Feng, Zhifeng Mai, Jianwen Mai, and Jianquan Mai—are accused of playing active roles between January 2025 and February 2026 in growing 1,000 or more marijuana plants and maintaining four illegal grow sites, one of which was located near a public park. Each of the six defendants is with one count of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a protected area, one count of manufacturing a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a protected area, and six counts of manufacturing a controlled substance. Changtian Mai faces two additional counts of money laundering. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The charges remain undecided, with an arraignment scheduled for September 1, 2026. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada stated that transnational networks that compromise community safety will be dismantled. Special Agent in Charge David Olesky of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Field Division said the operation involved four illegal grow houses, including one located within distance of a public park. The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS-CI, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under Executive Order 14159.

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  1. Version 119 Aug 2026, 21:28current

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