Police Arrest Alleged ‘Straw’ Owner of Cannabis Farm Where Quadruple Homicide Occurred

The alleged “straw” owner of the Oklahoma medical cannabis farm where a quadruple homicide occurred last November has been arrested, KFOR reports. According to court documents, Richard Ignacio, 35, agreed to be the straw owner of the farm for $2,000 a month.  

According to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN), a “straw” or “ghost” owner is a person whose name is listed as the 75% owner of an Oklahoma medical marijuana operation but isn’t involved in running it – a crime in the state.

Ignacio was charged last week with felony conspiracy against the state, accused of “falsely and fraudulently obtain[ing] the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority License and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Registration necessary to manufacture marijuana by falsely claiming 75% ownership in Liu & Chen Inc., in order to meet the residency ownership requirements for licensing and manufacturing pursuant to Oklahoma law,” according to court documents outlined by KFOR. 

In November, police in Miami Beach, Florida arrested Wu Chen who is suspected of carrying out the execution-style killings of four people at the Oklahoma medical cannabis farm. The victims included three men and one woman, all Chinese citizens. 

Ignacio is accused of agreeing to be listed as 75% owner of the farm then turning it over to YiFei Lin, a Chinese national, who, on paper, owned 25% of the farm. Authorities allege Ignacio lent his name to six different Oklahoma medical cannabis farms and made more than $100,000 over the last two years in the scheme. 

Lin, 44, was also injured during the November attack and subsequently arrested in December, the Associated Press reports. OBN ultimately seized the Oklahoma property. Lin is accused of conspiring to commit fraud against the state and illegally manufacturing and trafficking marijuana.