North Adams Pair Charged with Pot Operation

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Two people have been charged with operating what police said was a "significant" marijuana production and distribution system.

Daniel Chao, 37,  and Stephanie LeMay, 33, were arrested after a warrant was executed at their 9 Fairgrounds Ave. residence on Wednesday morning.

North Adams Police, working state police detectives, found two pounds of marijuana packaged and ready for sale,  88 marijuana plants and hash oil.

"It was a significant growing operation," said Police Director Michael Cozzaglio on Thursday. "There was upwards of a month of investigation before the execution of the search warrant."

Chao and Lemay, who were renting the single-family home, were both charged with possession of a Class D drug and possession with intent to distribute for the marijuana and for possession and intent to distribute for the hash oil, and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Police seized "everything that goes with a growing operation," said Cozzaglio, including the plants, lights, soil, fertilizer, scales and other times.

Chao has been "known" to police for sometime, said Cozzaglio, and has a record going back to at least 2006.  "He's not a new name."

There have been seizures of growing operations in the past but not one this significant in some time, he said. There have been busts of product imported for distribution.

"We don't usually find a growing operation like this," said Cozzaglio. "In recent memory no, we haven't had anything like this."