District Twp. >> More than $650,000 worth of marijuana was seized from a District Township home after police learned of a drug-growing operation there following a traffic stop.
The Berks County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force dismantled a sizeable marijuana growing operation at 58 Deer Run Road after obtaining a search warrant on Tuesday.
The operation was discovered after Fleetwood Police Chief Steven Stinsky and Officer Dale Ulshafer stopped Dang Hai Le, 39, of Whitehall, for a traffic violation on the 600 block of Sheiry Road in Richmond Township on Sept. 10, the district attorney’s office said in a press release.
Upon investigation of Dang Le’s GMC Denali, police allegedly seized 541 marijuana plant cuttings.
Dang Le was taken into custody and the Berks County Detectives were informed of the arrest. Both Stinsky and Ulshafer are members of the county drug task force.
Dang Le was charged with possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, manufacture of marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal conspiracy. Dang Le faced arraignment in front of District Judge Victor M. Frederick IV on Sept. 17. He is being held in Berks County Prison on $800,000 cash bail and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
An investigation into the drugs found during the traffic stop led police to the home on Deer Run Road, authorities said. After obtaining a warrant for the house on Sept. 16, police investigated and found a sophisticated marijuana growing operation inside, according to the district attorney’s office.
While the front of the house appeared to be a family home, the inside was equipped “to facilitate the planting, growing, harvesting, cleaning, packaging and preparation of marijuana for sale.” According to the district attorney’s office, the house contained several ventilation systems and grow lights as well as 637 marijuana plants which were seized by police along with paraphernalia used for production and sale. The total value of the recovered drugs was $650,000, according to the district attorney’s office.
Authorities determined that the house, as well as the drugs and equipment inside, were owned by Cho Van Le, 61, who was listed as living at the home in District Township. Cho Van has yet to be located.
If anyone has information on his whereabouts, they should contact Berks County Detectives at 610-478-7171, the Fleetwood Police Department at 610-944-7011 or Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913.
