MAN ADMITS ROLE IN MARIJUANA FACTORY GROW-OP

Pot Destined For U.S., Police Testify

BARRIE -- The principal defendant in Canada's biggest hydroponic
marijuana seizure admitted his role yesterday in the giant grow-op,
which transformed the former Molson brewery into a multimillion-dollar
jungle.

But despite pleading guilty to cultivating and possessing marijuana
for the purpose of trafficking, Michael DiCicco, 61, has shed no light
on who was behind the sophisticated, high-tech operation. And outside
the courtroom, police said they were not optimistic they would find
out.

"There's no doubt it would take an organization to grow and ship out
that much product," said Detective Sergeant James Clotka, who headed
the big bust in January, triggered by an informant's tip.

But as to who might comprise that organization, Mr. DiCicco "wouldn't
respond, he wouldn't provide a statement."

Two other officers testified they were sure the marijuana was mostly
destined for the United States, where Draconian penalties for
cultivation have made Canadian-grown pot a hot commodity.

Prosecutors will read out Mr. DiCicco's criminal record and seek a
penitentiary term after the hearing resumes Monday, when eight
co-defendants will also appear before Judge James Crawford of the
Ontario Court of Justice.

Six of those defendants are expected to plead guilty, while charges
against the others will likely be withdrawn.

The brewery was purchased from Molson in 2001 by Toronto-based Fercan
Developments Ltd., which also owns another building, north of Barrie,
where a second marijuana grow-operation was discovered the same day.

Fercan president Vincent de Rosa, whose brother Robert managed both
properties, has denied any knowledge of the illicit activity and
neither has been accused of any wrongdoing.

When police raided the onetime brewery, Mr. DiCicco quickly became the
focus of the investigation because he lived there in what used to be
its retail outlet.

Evidence yesterday showed he was president of one of the two dummy
companies -- supposedly a fish-rearing enterprise -- that were the
front for the operation; that he had keys to the secure areas where
the marijuana was being grown; and that his name was on incriminating
documents.

Accompanied by his sister, a brother-in-law and another man, Mr.
DiCicco said little beyond his guilty plea and was clearly displeased
at the attention. He tried to avoid photographers outside the building
and shoved a reporter aside when he re-entered court.

Lawyer Randall Barrs, who represents all the accused, agreed his main
client "obviously knew what was being produced, and the quantity that
was being produced."

Mr. DiCicco said as much when the raid took place. Asked by an officer
how many plants were under cultivation, he replied, "Jeez, I don't
know. Thousands."

All told, more than 21,000 plants were seized, together with
multi-kilo loads of marijuana in other forms.

Artfully concealed behind locked doors and aided by the usual array of
sophisticated equipment -- high-intensity lights, fans, ducting, soil,
fertilizer, an irrigation system -- the plants had a growth cycle of
about 75 days, Ontario Provincial Police Detective Constable Michael
Bednarczyk told court. The on-site gardeners also had their own living
quarters.

In the previous year, Detective Sergeant Paul Henry testified,
continuous production would have produced a crop worth at least
$8-million -- several times that much if shipped south.

Ten business enterprises were housed in the former brewery, but only
two are believed to have been involved in the marijuana operation.
Ontario Palette, ostensibly manufacturing pallets and paying Fercan
$12,000 in monthly rent, was headed by a St. Catharines-area man,
Brian McIntyre, who has not been found.

The other, Barrie Goodfish, was paying $17,000 in rent and was
supposedly raising fish in the old beer vats. In fact, the vats were
crammed with marijuana plants.