Massive marijuana grow in eastern Oregon forest nets guilty verdicts for defendant

Article publisher: 
OregonLive.com
Article date: 
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Article category: 
Crime
Medium
Article Body: 

A 34-year-old man was found guilty by a federal jury in Portland on Monday in connection with a massive marijuana growing operation that covered a mile-and-a-half stretch in eastern Oregon's Wallowa Whitman National Forest.

Fredy Figueroa-Montes was the only one of six defendants to choose to go to trial for what is believed to be the largest marijuana grow ever found in Oregon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office....

....Authorities discovered more than 91,000 plants in the marijuana grow. The defendants had torn out trees and underbrush to develop several pods of plants.....and used more than 500 pounds of illegal pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer and rodent-killing chemicals for the operation. Damage to the area along the Wildcat Creek was estimated at $97,000....