Four held for Stephens County pot grow robbery

DUNCAN — Four men are being held for charges stemming from a Jan. 27 armed robbery of a Stephens County marijuana grow operation.

One man is being held on $25 million bond.

On Monday, the Overman Legal Group of Oklahoma City requested discovery of all evidence after its client, Yi Mun Lee, 50, made his initial appearance March 25 in Stephens County District Court where he received felony charges of first-degree burglary, conjoint robbery, larceny of a motor vehicle and conspiracy to commit conjoint robbery. He is being held on $25 million bond and must surrender his passport as part of the bond conditions.

Justin Javor Stewart, 31, of Waco, Texas; Artist Anthon Stewart, 36, of Marlin, Texas; and Ricky Remell Harris, 45, of Marlin, Texas; each made initial appearances March 14 in Stephens County District Court for the same charges and are each being held on $1 million bond.

Stephens County Sheriff’s deputy Daniel Picazo stated he was called shortly before noon on Jan. 27 to the marijuana grow following the robbery. He stated the property gate of Harvest Paradise, L.L.C., appeared to have been driven through. The victims were duct taped and left inside the house.

The suspects were described as possibly five or six Black males wearing all black clothing and black masks, the probable cause affidavit states. A white Ford pickup was taken along with tubs containing 130 pounds of processed marijuana and six guns, Picazo stated. One of the robbers was described as wearing glasses and his mask was below his nose. A yellow Penske van was seen driving to the property along with two dark SUVs.

Investigators tracked the Penske’s rental and learned it was rented from Jan. 25 to 27 from Waco, Texas, by the brother of a man identified in the court information but who hasn’t been charged as of Tuesday.

GPS data traced the path of the Penske truck as it went from Waco, Texas, to an AirBnB in Norman on Jan. 25. Video from a Norman convenience store showed the suspects wearing all black before the robbery. The van tracked to the marijuana grow in Foster and security video recovered by investigators showed the stolen truck following the van, according to the affidavit. It would return to the Norman home before its return trip to Texas.

A search was made of the AirBnB in Norman and evidence was found tying Artist Stewart and Justin Stewart with Lee meeting at the Riverwind Casino in Norman on Jan. 25, Picazo stated. Black clothing and hats also were recovered in the home as well as labels from Harvest Paradise, L.L.C. and marijuana buds recovered from the garage. The Stewarts were seen on video footage purchasing scales and a vacuum sealer from Walmart following the robbery, the affidavit states. The AirBnB Ring camera showed the four indicted men and the fifth unindicted suspect at the home.

Cellphone data also showed that Li had visited the home the morning of Jan. 27. Li’s cellphone data also showed he was in the Stephens County area during the robbery and that he was communicating with phone numbers from Waco, Texas, according to the affidavit.

An interview was conducted with a man Li had been in contact with on Feb. 16. Picazo stated there were messages between him and Li showing the robbery location. It was learned the man had pawned a 12-gauge shotgun and a .22 caliber rifle at a Norman pawn shop on Jan. 27, the affidavit states.

All four indicted men return to court at 9 a.m. May 29 for their preliminary hearing conferences, records indicate.