Pubdate: Fri, 17 Dec 2004
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Sean Mckibbon, Ottawa Sun

DRUG TRIAL HEADS SOUTH

Court drops charges against massive drug ring's alleged 'Queen Bee' to
allow extradition to U.S.

MONEY LAUNDERING charges against a woman accused of being the "Queen
Bee" at the centre of a massive international marijuana production and
smuggling network have been dropped to facilitate her extradition to
the U.S., where she faces similar charges. "She's never been outside
of the country. She's never been to the U.S.," Mai Le's lawyer Rod
Sellar said yesterday.

But the penalties in the U.S., where Sellar says there are warrants
for her arrest in Massachusetts, California, Washington and New York,
are considerably higher than in Canada, with minimum sentences of 20
years or more.

ROADBLOCK GONE

Although the extradition proceedings against Le haven't been
completed, Sellar says the withdrawal removes a potential roadblock to
his client being forced to face trial in the U.S.

"If she were to be found guilty or plead to the charges here, they
would be unable to extradite her," Sellar said.

Along with Le, her co-accused Hong Bich Tieu has also had money
laundering charges withdrawn.

Le and Tieu were among dozens arrested in March in a wave of early
morning raids on marijuana grow-ops and related locations that swept
across North America.

CONSPIRACY

She had been facing 20 charges, including conspiracy to possess the
proceeds of crime, conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime,
laundering the proceeds of crime, possession for the purpose of
trafficking and commission of offence for criminal
organization.

After being denied bail in April by a justice of the peace, her
application for a bail review by a Superior Court judge was successful
in June and she was granted a release, but with an electronic
monitoring device fastened to her ankle.

Friends and family put up a total of $270,000 in cash and bond for
Le's release. She was being held in custody until the Court of Appeal
made a decision on bail.
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