Pubdate: Sat, 07 Sep 2002
Source: Kitchener-Waterloo Record (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 Kitchener-Waterloo Record
Contact:  http://www.therecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/225

MAN GREW POT WHILE AWAITING DRUG SENTENCE

KITCHENER -- As Duc Hoang Nguyen waited to be sentenced for his role in the 
production of indoor marijuana in eight houses, he was caught again 
producing pot in another residence.

Yesterday, the 23-year-old Brantford man was sentenced in Kitchener court 
to one day in jail, on top of the five months he has already spent in jail 
awaiting trial, after pleading guilty to producing marijuana at 65 Gunn 
Ave. in Cambridge.

Police raided the house on April 24 and found 369 marijuana plants worth 
about $370,000.

At the time of the raid, Nguyen was out on bail waiting to be sentenced for 
his role in a major drug bust dubbed by police as Project Bypass.

He was one of five men who had pleaded guilty to conspiring together in the 
production of indoor marijuana worth more than $1 million at eight 
residences in Kitchener, Cambridge and Guelph.

Four of the five men received house arrest and a fifth man was given a 
suspended sentence, followed by two years probation.

Federal drug prosecutor David Rowcliffe told Carr that when police were 
raiding the Gunn Avenue residence in the Clemens Mills area of Cambridge 
last April, they saw Nguyen drive by the house, slow down and then drive away.

Police followed Nguyen and when they arrested him, they found keys to the 
Gunn Avenue house in his possession, Rowcliffe said.

"Obviously, Mr. Nguyen had the keys to the grow operation," he said. 
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