PORTLAND, Ore. — A massive interstate marijuana trafficking and money laundering ring has collapsed with the federal sentencing of Cole William Griffiths, 32, of Hood River, Oregon. Griffiths was hit with a two-year prison sentence on August 14, 2020, followed by five years of supervised release, after admitting his central role in shipping homegrown Oregon cannabis to Florida buyers and funneling illicit profits back across state lines.
The operation unraveled in April 2018 when federal agents raided Griffiths’ Hood River residence, seizing a jaw-dropping 4,376 marijuana plants, $7,700 in cash, multiple firearms, ammunition, and several vehicles. Griffiths wasn’t there — he had fled to Florida just hours before the raid. Authorities later tracked down and seized a $225,000 Sealine F44 yacht registered in his name, purchased with dirty cash.
A federal grand jury in Portland indicted Griffiths on August 21, 2018, on three charges: conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana while maintaining drug-involved premises; conspiracy to commit money laundering; and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On April 22, 2019, he pleaded guilty to the first two counts, effectively sealing his fate in federal court.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Jones didn’t hold back. Griffiths was ordered to forfeit every tainted asset tied to his criminal enterprise: more than $256,956 in U.S. currency; the $225,000 yacht; eight vehicles; two all-terrain vehicles; four trailers; heavy construction equipment; and 14 firearms. The forfeiture represents one of the most complete asset seizures in recent Oregon drug cases.
The investigation was led by a powerhouse coalition: the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI. Each agency brought specialized firepower to dismantle what prosecutors described as a sophisticated, cross-country trafficking network operating under the radar for months.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Since 1982, OCDETF has targeted top-tier drug syndicates by combining federal, state, and local law enforcement resources — and the takedown of Cole Griffiths underscores its relentless reach into even the most remote corners of America’s drug economy.
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Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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