Two employees at a state-licensed marijuana grow site in Seminole County, Oklahoma, are facing federal charges after prosecutors say they helped move illegal, unregistered pesticides from Hong Kong into the heart of Oklahoma’s cannabis country. The newly unsealed indictment names two workers and lays out multi-year shipments and domestic sales of products that federal regulators warn could threaten both consumers and farmland.
Federal indictment details
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the indictment unsealed July 9 charges 44-year-old Jin Zhao Chi with one count each of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, smuggling goods into the United States, and unlawful distribution and sale of pesticides. It also charges 65-year-old Dian Lin Jiang with a misdemeanor count of unlawful distribution and sale of pesticides.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. Prosecutors say the alleged conduct happened while both were employed at a state-registered grow site in Seminole County, a reminder that even licensed operations can end up in federal crosshairs when chemicals are involved.
What the indictment alleges
The indictment alleges Chi conspired to import unregistered and misbranded pesticides from Hong Kong between Feb. 25 and March 19, 2025, and that he distributed unregistered products from June 2022 through February 2025. Jiang is accused of distributing and shipping similar unregistered pesticides from April 27, 2022, through May 8, 2023.
“A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt,” the U.S. Attorneys release notes, stressing that the charges are still only allegations. The filing claims some shipments were misbranded or concealed and then sold or circulated inside the grow operation.
Agency probe and enforcement
Investigators on the case included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations, according to the Tampa Free Press. As reported by Tampa Free Press, EPA Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall said, “We will not tolerate anyone profiting from polluting our lands and poisoning our citizens with dangerous, illegal Chinese pesticides smuggled into the American Heartland.”
Federal officials told investigators that the products at issue are unregistered in the United States and are commonly found in black-market operations, according to the outlet’s coverage, which helps explain why multiple agencies piled into the probe.
Local regulatory context
In Oklahoma, state regulators and public-health officials have repeatedly moved to embargo or recall marijuana products that failed pesticide testing, underscoring what they describe as ongoing safety problems in the industry. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority maintains a public list of embargoed and recalled products that includes several pesticide-related actions since 2023, highlighting why federal agencies say they are watching illegal import and distribution channels closely.
Reporting by PBS NewsHour has traced how testing failures and regulatory gaps helped spur stepped-up enforcement in the state, as Oklahoma’s once-booming cannabis market runs into tougher scrutiny.
What the charges mean
The indictment includes federal smuggling and conspiracy counts as well as misdemeanor pesticide-distribution charges. Those allegations can carry federal penalties if the defendants are convicted. The unsealing notice reiterates that an indictment is only an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not list arraignment dates or other court settings in the public release, and prosecutors say the case remains under active investigation, according to Tampa Free Press. Officials say they will release additional information as it becomes available, and observers are watching for new filings, agency notices and local court dates that could signal the next moves in the case.
