PRISON SOUGHT FOR POT GROWER

A former Windsor woman was found guilty Monday for her principal role
in the city's biggest-ever uncovered marijuana grow operation.

Dung Sau Ho, 35, was the last of seven members of a Toronto family to
go to trial this fall, more than four years after city police seized
almost 1,100 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of more
than $1.2 million from two South Windsor homes during raids on June
22, 2004.

"The Crown has proven beyond a reasonable doubt ... that these
structures were devoted to the production of cannabis marijuana,"
Superior Court Justice Lynne Leitch read from a written ruling. "These
were extensive operations ... of high commercial value."

As with another convicted member of the criminal family, Ho used a
false assumed name, Lucy Ha, in what prosecutor Richard Pollock called
a "wily" attempt to fend off police investigators. The address numbers
of one of two targeted ranch-style homes was also altered.

A pre-sentence report has been ordered, and sentencing and forfeiture
hearings are scheduled for Jan. 30.

Pollock said the Crown is seeking forfeiture of the $55,679.91 in
proceeds from the Crown-forced sale of Ho's seized property at 974
Lounsborough St., a home which was converted to grow pot, as well as
almost $9,000 cash seized from Ho's leased apartment on 3440 Peter St.
and a 1996 Toyota registered in her name.

The Crown told the court it will seek a term of up to two years in a
provincial jail for Ho. Her mother Anh Sy Hoang, registered owner of
the other raided growhouse at 3324 Conservation Dr., pled guilty in
Superior Court in Windsor on the same charges in June 2006 and was
originally sentenced to 22 months in jail before successfully
appealing to a higher court and having that sentence whittled down to
15 months.

Ho was also found guilty on two counts of defrauding Enwin Utilities
by stealing hydro through illegal electrical bypasses, something that
is common in large-scale and sophisticated grow house operations.