The federal government brought down a legal Hemp grow, not a black market marijuana operation, in Franklin County four years ago, a defense attorney argued Wednesday at the start of a trial. Lucas Sirois allegedly ran a multimillion-dollar black market marijuana operation. His father, Robert Sirois, is also accused of being involved in maintaining the operation. Their six-day jury trial started Wednesday morning in U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor.
The trial is the final legal chapter of an alleged conspiracy to sell pot illegally in Maine that ultimately led to charges against 13 people in 2021. A local selectman, an assistant district attorney, and two former Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies eventually pleaded guilty to felonies as part of the scheme.
It wasn’t marijuana the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seized during the Maine raid, defense attorney Eric Postow said. Instead, it was Hemp. Both products are derived from the cannabis sativa plant, and faulty government testing produced incorrect results, Postow said. The government’s tests heated plant samples, which can change Hemp from non-psychoactive to psychoactive, he explained.
The government maintains that marijuana was at the center of the investigation, which will be proven by lab testing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew McCormack said. More than 20 boxes labeled “DEA evidence” line the side of the courtroom, each containing multiple envelopes of seized marijuana, Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Faulk said.
Lucas Sirois is alleged to be the ringleader of the operation. He was licensed to grow medical marijuana in Maine and is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana; conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; bank fraud; and tax evasion. His father, Robert Sirois, faces related charges.
Former Rangeley selectman David Burgess testified that the product they grew and sold was not Hemp, claiming about 56 marijuana plants were grown and 80 pounds processed weekly at the old “Shoe Shop” factory. Burgess pleaded guilty to related felony charges and has testified about managing cash flow and operations.
During the Maine raid, the FBI seized more than 2,900 plants and numerous pounds of processed marijuana. DEA Agent Jonathan Richards noted that it’s challenging to distinguish between marijuana and Hemp visually, emphasizing that lab tests are required to determine the plant type.
This high-profile case underscores the challenges law enforcement faces when Hemp and marijuana look identical. The ongoing trial continues to examine evidence from the Maine raid to clarify the distinction between legal Hemp and illegal marijuana in Franklin County.
