Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided what they said was an illegal “marijuana farm” in upstate New York that was allegedly supplying the drug to illegal smoke shops across New York City. Nearly 30,000 marijuana plants were discovered on the property in Walworth, near Rochester, which included greenhouses for the alleged cultivation operation, officials said. “While cannabis may be recognized as legal in New York State, large scale marijuana grows that violate federal law are not legal and will remain targets of our enforcement efforts,” said DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. Ferrydoon Ardehali, 55, from Staten Island was charged by federal prosecutors of helping to run the alleged illegal pot-growing and smuggling operation. Colby Riggle, 27, from California is also facing drug-related counts which, if convicted, could carry 10 years or more in prison. More than 3,700 pounds of processed marijuana was also seized during the search, investigators said. Images from the property along Daansen Road shows rows of marijuana growing in greenhouses.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams earlier in the week again highlighted the problem of illegal smoke shops. He said in 2024, the city shut down nearly 1,400 shops and seized over $95 million in illegal products from illicit stores. An attorney for Ardehali said his client “looks forward to exercising his legal rights at the appropriate times throughout this legal process and addressing this matter in Court.” As for Riggle, his attorney said he was just a farmhand working at the farm, and had no part in the ownership or company running the farm. Riggle was released from custody on Friday. “He looks forward to defending himself and the accusations in court as this case moves forward,” said attorney Fonda Dawn Kubiak. FBI agents and Customs officers along with the Wayne County Sheriff assisted DEA in the investigation.
Alright, so apparently, the DEA decided to crash this alleged illegal “marijuana farm” situation up in upstate New York, claiming that it was feeding the drug to illegal smoke shops in New York City. Like, who knew there was such a big operation going on in Walworth, near Rochester? And get this, they found a whopping 30,000 marijuana plants on the property, complete with greenhouses for all the alleged growing. The DEA is really cracking down on these large-scale operations that go against federal law. Ferrydoon Ardehali from Staten Island and Colby Riggle from California are in hot water with the feds now. Ardehali is being charged with helping run the operation, while Riggle is facing some serious drug-related counts that could land him in prison for over a decade. Over 3,700 pounds of processed marijuana were also seized during the search. Can you imagine stumbling upon all that greenery?
So, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been making noise about these illegal smoke shops, shutting down a ton of them in 2024 and seizing millions of dollars in illegal products. It’s like a whole underground market going on right under our noses. Ardehali’s lawyer seems pretty confident about his client’s rights in court, while Riggle’s attorney is adamant that he had nothing to do with the ownership or management of the farm. It’s a wild situation up there in upstate New York, with FBI agents, Customs officers, and the Wayne County Sheriff all getting involved in the investigation. Who would’ve thought a little marijuana farm could cause such a stir? Not really sure why this matters, but hey, it’s definitely keeping law enforcement on their toes.
