T
The420Guy
Guest
Tuyen Nguyen, one of six persons arrested in Niagara as part of a nationwide
crackdown on home-based pot operations last winter, pleaded guilty Thursday
in Superior Court of Justice in St. Catharines to unlawfully producing
marijuana.
"This is a serious charge," Justice Patricia Wallace told court. "This is a
significant operation in terms of size ... one that has absolutely no place
in this community."
Crown prosector Peter Wenglowski told court police obtained a warrant and
searched Nguyen's home at 71 McCalla Rd. in St. Catharines Jan. 30.
Inside, they found 312 marijuana plants, most of them in the basement, in
various stages of production. While the plants were worth about $150,000,
Nguyen also had about $25,000 in grow equipment, including fans, transistors
and fertilizers.
Wenglowski said regular hydro channels to the home were bypassed.
Nguyen, a single mother of three children who works at a pizza shop, was
drawn into having a home-grow operation by the carrot of fast and easy
money, said defence lawyer Paul MacLeod.
She's a first-time offender with the equivalent of Grade 6 education, he
added.
While MacLeod classified the grow operation as unsophisticated, the judge
disagreed, noting the business was worth $150,000.
Underlining the fact sentences are meant to deter the public and help
rehabilitate the offender, Wallace agreed to the joint sentencing
submission.
Nguyen received a 15-month conditional sentence -- during which she's only
allowed to leave her home for work, court appearances and medical
emergencies -- and two years' probation. She was also prohibited from
possessing equipment used for growing plants indoors, drug paraphernalia,
cellphones, pagers and palm pilots.
Outside court, MacLeod said an informant, whose name is sealed in a
confidential search warrant, tipped police to her grow operation. He would
only say "people" got his client into the grow-operation, saying his client
hasn't revealed who because she fears retaliation.
Pubdate: Friday, July 5, 2002
Source: Standard, The (St. Catharines, CN ON)
Website: Canada.Com
Address: 17 Queen St., St. Catharines, Ont. L2R 5G5
Contact: pbailey@scs.southam.ca
Author: Jennifer Kennedy
Webpage: MapInc
crackdown on home-based pot operations last winter, pleaded guilty Thursday
in Superior Court of Justice in St. Catharines to unlawfully producing
marijuana.
"This is a serious charge," Justice Patricia Wallace told court. "This is a
significant operation in terms of size ... one that has absolutely no place
in this community."
Crown prosector Peter Wenglowski told court police obtained a warrant and
searched Nguyen's home at 71 McCalla Rd. in St. Catharines Jan. 30.
Inside, they found 312 marijuana plants, most of them in the basement, in
various stages of production. While the plants were worth about $150,000,
Nguyen also had about $25,000 in grow equipment, including fans, transistors
and fertilizers.
Wenglowski said regular hydro channels to the home were bypassed.
Nguyen, a single mother of three children who works at a pizza shop, was
drawn into having a home-grow operation by the carrot of fast and easy
money, said defence lawyer Paul MacLeod.
She's a first-time offender with the equivalent of Grade 6 education, he
added.
While MacLeod classified the grow operation as unsophisticated, the judge
disagreed, noting the business was worth $150,000.
Underlining the fact sentences are meant to deter the public and help
rehabilitate the offender, Wallace agreed to the joint sentencing
submission.
Nguyen received a 15-month conditional sentence -- during which she's only
allowed to leave her home for work, court appearances and medical
emergencies -- and two years' probation. She was also prohibited from
possessing equipment used for growing plants indoors, drug paraphernalia,
cellphones, pagers and palm pilots.
Outside court, MacLeod said an informant, whose name is sealed in a
confidential search warrant, tipped police to her grow operation. He would
only say "people" got his client into the grow-operation, saying his client
hasn't revealed who because she fears retaliation.
Pubdate: Friday, July 5, 2002
Source: Standard, The (St. Catharines, CN ON)
Website: Canada.Com
Address: 17 Queen St., St. Catharines, Ont. L2R 5G5
Contact: pbailey@scs.southam.ca
Author: Jennifer Kennedy
Webpage: MapInc
