7 Chinese nationals charged in alleged multi-million-dollar money laundering and trafficking operation in Mass.

Seven Chinese nationals have been charged in an alleged human trafficking and multi-million dollar marijuana growing operation in Massachusetts and Maine, federal prosecutors announced.

The defendants are accused of allegedly smuggling Chinese nationals into the U.S.to work at grow houses in single-family properties in suburban neighborhoods, where they grew and distributed “kilogram-sized quantities” of marijuana, according to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley’s office.

Prosecutors say the defendants conspired to sell kilograms of marijuana in bulk across the Northeast, stretching as far west as New York.

Officials said those smuggled into the country were unable to access their passports until they repaid their smuggling debts.

The defendants were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, as well as additional charges:

Jianxiong Chen, 39, of Braintree, was also indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy, 11 counts of money laundering, and one count of bringing aliens into the U.S. 

Yuxiong Wu, 36, of Weymouth, was also indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy and four counts of money laundering. 

Dinghui Li, 38, of Braintree, was also indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of money laundering. 

Dechao Ma, 35, of Braintree, was also indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of money laundering. 

Peng Lian Zhu, 35, of Melrose, was also indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Hongbin Wu, 35, of Quincy, and Yanrong Zhu, 47, of Greenfield, faced no additional charges.

Six of the defendants were arrested on Tuesday morning, while Zhu remained at large.

“This case pulls back the curtain on a sprawling criminal enterprise that exploited our immigration system and our communities for personal gain. These defendants allegedly turned quiet homes across the Northeast into hubs for a criminal enterprise – building a multi-million-dollar black-market operation off the backs of an illegal workforce and using our neighborhoods as cover. That ends today,” said Foley.

According to the charging documents, the grow houses were located in Braintree, Melrose, and Greenfield, among other Massachusetts locations, and began operating in January 2020.

Prosecutors say Chen controlled several grow houses in Maine as well as a home in Braintree, which was the operation’s base. Investigators recovered over $270,000 in cash during an October 2024 search of the property, according to officials. They also found several Chinese passports and other identification documents inside a safe, attorneys said. 

Searches of grow houses in Braintree and Melrose allegedly resulted in the seizure of over 109 kilograms of marijuana, nearly $200,000 in cash, and “numerous luxury items including a gold Rolex watch with a $65,000 price tag still on it,” according to Foley’s office.

Investigators say the millions in profits from the marijuana sales were used to buy luxury homes, cars, jewelry, and real estate to further the operation.

The charge of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana that all defendants face provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least two years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, prosecutors said.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater, Foley’s office said.

The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. 

The charge of bringing aliens into the United States provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of three years and up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.