A Lower Mainland man was sentenced this week to a year in jail for tending a marijuana grow operation in the Prince George area.
Minh Van Vu, 51, was arrested on Sept. 25, 2010 at an 11000 block Christopher Road property just north of city limits.
In a two-storey home on the property, police found 1,490 plants, ranging from clone to adult plants, worth between $550,000 and $1.4 million, Provincial Court Judge Victor Galbraith said Tuesday in issuing the sentence.
He described the operation as sophisticated with charcoal filters to prevent the odour from escaping.
The home's upstairs was almost empty and it appeared Vu was living there "only for the purpose of tending the marijuana," Galbraith said.
A hydro bypass was also found and Vu was ordered to pay $3,000 restitution to B.C. Hydro.
Vu required a Vietnamese interpreter to take in the decision, which he heard via video conference from a Lower Mainland courtroom.