Fresno Man Sentenced in Marijuana Cultivation Case

Fresno, CA – Herman Graves, 47, was sentenced to eight months in custody (four months in prison and four months home detention) for conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana grown on South Marks Avenue in Fresno County.

Graves’ marijuana was designated as ‘medical’ but was destined for distribution in Birmingham, Ala. The case is the product of an investigation by the DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Treasury Inspector General of Tax Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Birmingham, Ala., California Highway Patrol, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, and the Madera County Narcotics Enforcement Team.

The investigation uncovered a large-scale marijuana cultivation operation involving private lands in Stanislaus, Fresno, and Tulare Counties. Graves’ sentence is the latest in a series of convictions stemming from the investigation.

Graves’ co-conspirators have also been sentenced in separate cases. Sengphachanh Boungnavong, 34, was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to cultivate, distribute and possess with intent to distribute 907 marijuana plants grown in Newman, California. Carlos Adan Lupian-Lua, 26, was sentenced to one year and seven months in prison for cultivating marijuana on agricultural land in Terra Bella. Reney Bousangouane, 50, was sentenced to one year of home detention for his involvement in a large marijuana cultivation operation on agricultural land in Fresno County.

The cases highlight the ongoing effort to combat large-scale marijuana cultivation in the Central Valley. The investigation and subsequent convictions demonstrate the complexity and scope of the problem. The defendants in these cases were involved in a multi-million dollar operation that threatened the safety and well-being of the community.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with local law enforcement agencies to combat marijuana cultivation and distribution in the region.

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