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.