COMMON OWNERSHIP OF HOMES IN SUBURBAN POT BUST

[Update: Five individuals, including Thmothy V. Nguyen and Michelle L. Nguyen have been arrested on federal charges in this case. See newer post. --Ed.]
Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com

By Michael Horne

The alleged $5 million pot bust in Oak Creek, Franklin and Sturtevant has revealed a large-scale growing operation conducted in single family suburban homes. The police became involved when neighbors noted the home at 2155 Ash Court, Oak Creek, was not being lived in as a normal home. For example, the owner hauled in a truckload of potting soil during the winter, but had never brought any furniture into the place. And the lights went on each morning at 4 a.m., early even for a go-getting suburb. No charges have been filed, but police say the locations are all related.
Let's see how.
According to Oak Creek assessor's information, the home on Ash Court, valued at $247,400, is owned by Thuy Nguyen. Files in the office of Milwaukee County Register of Deeds John LaFave show the property was recorded to Thuy Nguyen, a single man, [Thuy is a woman] on January 5th, 2007, for a sales price of $231,000. A $184,800 mortgage taken out on the property at the same time is registered to "Thuy Nguyen, Married." It has a "second home" rider.
Over in Sturtevant, in Racine County, the busted property at 8324 Foxhaven Chase is owned by Timothy V. Nguyen according to county assessment records. A Timothy V. Nguyen, born in 1970, was cited for inattentive driving by the Milwaukee County Sheriff in 2005. That Timothy V. Nguyen gave his address at the time as 3812 W. Jerelin Drive, Franklin. The Jerelin address is also one of the four raided yesterday. LeFave's records show a $255,000 deed issued in April, 2001 for the property to Timothy V. Nguyen and Michelle L. Nguyen, "husband and wife." They took out a $228,200 mortgage on the place in March, 2006. Back in 2003, the Racine County sheriff issued a speeding citation to a Timothy V. Nguyen, listed as an "Asian-Pacific Islander," who gave his address as 6749 S. 34th St., Franklin. The 34th street address is the fourth location visited Tuesday by "a swarm of police with full tactical gear, dogs and rifles," according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, LaFave's records show the 34th street house was sold by Jimmy V. Nguyen and Phuong T. Nguyen to Antonio H. Le for $175,333 in October 2000. Le took out a $152,750 mortgage on the place in 2004. He lists it as a "second home." (I guess that's true if your second home is a greenhouse.) Why Timothy V. Nguyen used it as his address in 2003 after Jimmy V. Nguyen sold it in 2000 cannot be determined. How Thuy Nguyen happened to be single when she bought her Oak Creek home, yet married when she signed the mortgage on the same day also cannot be determined. Whether the named individuals are all separate or whether some have multiple identities cannot be determined. "Nguyen," (pronounced "win") is the most common Vietnamese surname. Le ranks as number 2. You can imagine the police have quite a bit to sort through.