SOME IMMIGRANTS EASY TARGETS FOR POT GROWERS

The sentencing of a man charged in connection with a marijuana grow
operation is a story that a local judge says has become all too familiar.

It's a story about immigrants with limited English language skills who
immerse themselves in ethnic enclaves, fail to prosper and then get
sucked into the criminal underworld.

Shi Jiang was handed a 15-month conditional sentence Wednesday for his
part in a large grow-op found by police -- somewhat by accident.

It is a story that is so familiar that Judge Ron Fratkin already knew
the backstory, even as Jiang's lawyer was explaining how his client --
described as a hard working immigrant -- got lured into criminal activity.

During Jiang's sentencing hearing Wednesday, the court heard that
Jiang had rented a townhouse on No. 1 Road with his girlfriend, with
whom he later split. Jiang, who is divorced, has two teenaged sons and
elderly parents to care for. He ended up subletting the townhouse to
be a marijuana grow operation, which he had a hand in
maintaining.

He was caught in November 2006 leaving the townhouse one night by
police, who were doing surveillance in the area on another case.

Police found 775 marijuana plants occupying all three levels of the
townhouse. Jiang was charged with possession for the purpose of
trafficking and production of a controlled substance, while the person
actually running the grow op managed to evade charges.

Jiang's lawyer, John Turner, said his client had immigrated from China
in 1989. Despite being here for 20 years, Jiang's English is "less
than rudimentary," said Turner, who expressed surprise that someone
with such poor English skills could even become a Canadian citizen.

Due to his poor English skills, Jiang found himself limited to a
Chinese enclave in Vancouver and Richmond, stuck in low-paying
restaurant jobs.

"He never has been able to establish himself other than in the Chinese
community," Turner said.

"So he came to this country and submerged himself into this world
where he can function, but it's a very narrow, little world," Fratkin
said, fleshing out a story he called "all too familiar to this court."

Fratkin went on to describe immigrants like Jiang as targets who can
be easily recruited to "babysit" grow ops, where they take most of the
risk but share little of the profits.

"There's a labour market that's ready, willing and able to get
involved," Fratkin said.

Jiang's conditional sentence includes a nine-month curfew (between 9
p.m. and 6 a.m.)

Meanwhile, the landlord who owns the townhouse that housed the grow
operation may have been hit with a large remediation bill.

Under city bylaws, landlords are obliged to inspect their rental
properties to make sure they are not used for grow operations. If they
don't, and a grow op is found, they must pay for the cost of an
inspection and any remediation that is ordered, which can be thousands
of dollars.

Inspections alone can cost $4,500 to $5,000. That doesn't include the
costs of any remediation, which usually includes the replacement of
all carpets.