A man who has been identified as Chen Wu and also known as Wu Chen in jail records has been sentenced to life in prison for admitting to the fatal shooting of four individuals at an illegal medical marijuana operation on a farm in Oklahoma. The incident took place on November 20, 2022, at a farm located west of Hennessey, a town approximately 55 miles northwest of the area. Chen Wu pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with a deadly weapon during a court hearing on Friday.
The victims of the shooting, which occurred in a garage on the 10-acre farm, were three men and a woman identified as Quirong Lin, Chen He Chun, Chen He Qiang, and Fang Hui Lee. Another individual, Yi Fei Lin, was injured during the attack. The shooting transpired shortly after Chen Wu demanded the return of $300,000 that he had invested in the marijuana growing operation.
Chen Wu was apprehended in Florida two days after the shooting when the vehicle he was driving triggered a tag reader, leading to his arrest by Miami Beach police. He was subsequently extradited to Oklahoma to face charges related to the murders.
As part of a plea agreement, Chen Wu received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for each murder count and a 20-year prison term for the assault charge, to be served concurrently. District Attorney Tommy Humphries of Kingfisher County emphasized the risks associated with illegal marijuana activities in Oklahoma in response to the case.
Additionally, a separate legal case involving Yi Fei Lin, one of the victims who survived the shooting, is still pending. It was revealed that Yi Fei Lin was listed as a 25% owner of the same medical marijuana farm where the tragic incident occurred.
Furthermore, the investigation into the quadruple homicide led to the arrest of Richard Ignacio, accused of being the “straw” or “ghost” owner of the medical marijuana farm. Ignacio allegedly obtained licenses fraudulently and transferred control of the farm to Yi Fei Lin, who did not meet the residency ownership requirements for licensing.
In connection to the farm scheme, Ignacio, Kevin Paul Pham, and Alexander Shiang Lin Chang were indicted on multiple felony charges by an Oklahoma grand jury. The charges included conspiracy, filing false documents, illegal manufacturing of marijuana, possession of a firearm after previous felony convictions, financial transactions involving fraudulent proceeds, and engaging in criminal offenses.
The legalization of medical marijuana in Oklahoma in 2018 prompted subsequent legislation in 2022, imposing a two-year moratorium on new licenses for medical marijuana growers, dispensaries, and processors. This measure aimed to address concerns regarding limited enforcement resources, out-of-state exploitation of residency requirements, and the exploitation of human trafficking victims in the marijuana industry.