A man was found guilty Friday of running a marijuana grow operation after a provincial court judge did not buy his defence that he had nothing to do with the plants being growing in a rural Prince George house where he was found.
In reaching his decision regarding Vasile Florin Flore, 32, judge Randall Callan noted some of Flore's personal effects were found in the bedroom at the front of the house and more importantly so was his wallet, his permanent resident card and his European Union identity card.
Moreover, police described the house as "being given over to the growing of marijuana," since the front door was boarded up, there was a strong smell of marijuana throughout the house and venting pipes ran throughout the lower part.
Even the bathroom was unusable due to the chemicals in the sink, the court heard during testimony.
The court also heard watering of the plants was done manually and Flore was on the property for more than 24 hours before he was arrested. And given Flore had keys to the property "he had more than ample time to familiarize himself with the activities in the house," Callan said.
Moreover, when police told Flore he was under arrest, he tried running "full stride" for the woods.
"Taken with the other inferences, it shows a consciousness of guilt on the part of Mr. Flore," said Callan, who concluded Flore had both knowledge and control of the operation when he was arrested in June 2011.
The North District RCMP's Cariboo Regional Integrated Marijuana Enforcement team seized some 1,456 plants, worth $490,000 to $1.2 million, from the property on Lucas Road in the Woodpecker area.
Sentencing for Flore, who needed an interpreter for the proceedings, will be held once a pre-sentence report has been completed.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)