Deputies arrest Oakland man in Oakhurst for marijuana cultivation

An Oakland man was arrested Monday after deputies found 2,396 budding marijuana plants on an Oakhurst property, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies searched the property in the 48000 block of Road 620 and found two homes that were fully converted for indoor marijuana cultivation, Cmdr. Bill Ward said. They also found a gun and more than $900 in cash.

Wei Jian Xu, 56, of Oakland, was arrested for the suspected cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale, Ward said.

County building inspectors and code enforcement officers found the residences uninhabitable and posted notices on the residence for faulty wiring and illegal building conditions, Ward said. Deputies found extremely harmful black mold and a large amount of waste from the indoor cultivation operation disposed near a natural creek on the property.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 11:58 PM with the headline "Deputies arrest Oakland man in Oakhurst for marijuana cultivation."