Five of the seven people charged in a large-scale marijuana growing operation in the Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest have reached plea deals, avoiding jury trials.

In July and August, investigators began collecting evidence to charge the suspects after discovering a large marijuana grow from Doty to Mountain.

According to WLUK-TV, Jose Alfredo Sierra-Aguilar, Pedro Infante-Ramirez, Guillermo Chavez-Carrion, Miguel Sanchez-Garcia and Maria Blanca Garcia are expected to be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.

Juan Carlos Cervantes Contreras has a trial scheduled in January. Jose Luis Sanchez, is listed as having a trial date Tuesday, but court officials say that will not happen. No other court dates for him are scheduled.

About 8,400 marijuana plants were confiscated were estimated to be worth millions of dollars once harvested.

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