Over 29,000 Marijuana Plants Seized in Federal Drug Bust, Distribution to Niagara County

Photo courtesy of the Times of Wayne County

A large-scale, unlicensed marijuana cultivation site in Wayne County has led to the arrest of two men and the seizure of more than 29,000 marijuana plants.

Federal authorities on Monday, May 12th, arrested Ferrydoon M. Ardehali and Colby Riggle following an investigation that uncovered a sophisticated cannabis grow operation with ties to distribution in North Tonawanda and Clarence. According to court documents, the business supplied marijuana to multiple other cannabis-related companies despite lacking any state-issued cultivation license.

Task force agent Cory Higgins, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), submitted an affidavit stating that Ardehali admitted to owning the grow site and confirmed he had no authorization from New York State to produce marijuana. Investigators seized 29,406 marijuana plants from six separate grow rooms in addition to approximately 3,700 pounds of processed marijuana.

Both Ardehali and Riggle appeared in U.S. District Court in Buffalo where they were formally charged with manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants, a federal offense that could carry a sentence of over a decade in prison.

No business connected to the operation, including Integrity Farms & Greenhouses Inc., had a state license for cultivating either cannabis or hemp.

During his court appearance, Ardehali, a U.K. citizen, explained that he had once operated a homeless shelter in New York City but closed it to pursue a legal cannabis venture. He said he and his partners purchased the 26-acre farm for $1.4 million, with $850,000 still owed to the former owner. Additionally, he disclosed a personal debt load nearing $900,000, including $84,000 in credit card debt accumulated in an attempt to sustain the struggling grow facility.

Ardehali expressed that his financial situation deteriorated dramatically after entering the cannabis industry, particularly when his partners ceased contributing to operational costs.

The two men are due back in court on Friday, May 16th.

Over 29,000 Marijuana Plants Seized in Federal Drug Bust, Distribution to Niagara County