Lee Edward Blomquist, 48, of Felch, Michigan, was convicted by a federal jury in Marquette on charges of manufacturing more than 50 marijuana plants and possessing them with intent to distribute. The verdict closes a years-long case involving a sprawling grow operation on family land, cross-state sales, and a failed jailbreak during pre-trial release.
Blomquist ran a full-time marijuana grow operation on property in Felch, producing and processing pot that he sold to a Wisconsin resident over a nine-month period. When authorities raided the site in 2017, they seized 32 pounds of processed marijuana—a stash with a street value exceeding $100,000.00. The amount and interstate trafficking placed Blomquist in violation of both federal law and Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act.
The crackdown began with the Kingsford, Iron Mountain, Norway, Dickinson (KIND) drug team, which conducted multiple controlled buys from Blomquist’s Wisconsin associate. Surveillance and intelligence led to a search warrant for the Felch property, where investigators uncovered the grow site and processed product. Blomquist admitted to detectives that he treated the illegal enterprise as a full-time job.
While awaiting trial in September 2018, Blomquist was granted a one-week furlough to visit his ailing father. He vanished, fleeing jurisdiction and turning fugitive. KIND investigators tracked him down and recaptured him in November 2018, setting the stage for a trial that would seal his fate.
On February 7, 2019, Blomquist pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and to actual distribution tied to his Wisconsin connection. This latest conviction adds to a criminal record that already includes a 2003 federal conviction for manufacturing marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Lochner. Authorities credited the KIND drug team, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Kingsford Public Safety, Iron Mountain Police, Michigan State Police Crime Lab, and Dickinson County Prosecutor’s Office for their critical roles in dismantling Blomquist’s operation. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
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Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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