Pubdate: Fri, 28 May 2010
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2010 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Andrew Seymour

MOTHER JAILED FOR 'ACTIVE' ROLE IN MARIJUANA OPERATION

Judge Hands Down Two-Year Sentence After Rejecting Pleas For Leniency

A mother of two who helped her husband run a large-scale marijuana 
grow operation was sentenced to two years behind bars Thursday.

"She chose to be actively involved in this organization knowing the 
risks," Ontario Court Justice Ann Alder said before sending 
39-year-old Mai Anh Vu to prison despite her pleas for leniency so 
she could care for her 13-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter.

"The message of this sentence must be that anyone who commits these 
offences will face significant jail time, even if they are mothers of 
young children," Alder said.

Vu had pleaded guilty to being a member of a criminal organization 
and to conspiracy to produce and traffic marijuana, in connection 
with a large growing operation run out of Ottawa-area houses. It was 
shut down in August 2008 and 27 people were arrested after a massive 
undercover police operation dubbed Operation Scarecrow.

Vu's husband, Duc Bui, and his brother, Ha Bui, were each sentenced 
last December to 51/2 years in prison -- one of the stiffest 
sentences ever given to illegal pot producers in Ontario -- and their 
broker, Maurice Chan, was earlier sentenced to five years.

While Vu was described in police evidence as a "broker" for the 
criminal organization, Alder said it was difficult to pinpoint her 
exact role. Vu was recorded on wiretaps discussing potential buyers, 
the quality and selling price of the marijuana and instructing others 
to clean up out of fear they would be arrested after police searches 
on some of their properties.

"The motive for all the offences was nothing other than pure greed," 
Alder said. "It is clear she knew everything that was going on. She 
took an active role. She was much more than a spouse simply passing 
on messages."

Following her guilty plea, Vu told a probation officer she did not 
believe what she did was that bad or that marijuana was as bad as 
other drugs because some people used it for medicinal purposes.

However, she also admitted to making a mistake and expressed remorse 
for her actions, which Alder took into account when determining her sentence.
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