The first defendant in Operation Green Jade to go to trial was convicted this week in Grays Harbor Superior Court.

Wei Neng Chen, a 48 year old Montesano resident, was charged with operating five large scale illegal marijuana grows in Grays Harbor County. The grows were in residences that had been converted to grow houses located on Lund Road, Elma-McCleary Road, Northbank Road, Geissler Road and 2nd Street in Aberdeen.

After a short deliberation, the jury found Chen guilty on all five counts of manufacturing, which included three separate school zone enhancements. Chen will be sentenced later this month.

Prior to this trial, several other defendants pled guilty to charges as a result of Operation Green Jade, a series of local busts around Grays Harbor in November of 2017.