Pot-growing case ends with two convicted
By Dolly A. Butz, Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, August 30, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- A jury found two people guilty Friday in U.S. District Court of participating in a large-scale marijuana-growing network in Sioux City.
Phieu Van Nguyen, 48, of Dakota Dunes, was convicted of continuing criminal enterprise and six counts of money laundering. He was found not guilty of two counts of money laundering.
Va Thi Nguyen, 42, Sioux City, was found guilty of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
Phieu pleaded guilty Aug. 8 to a single count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. Ten counts of structuring financial transactions against him were dropped.
Prosecutors said during the weeklong trial that Phieu supervised the $2 million operation and pocketed $1 million from it, using the money to buy a Mini Cooper, Toyota Camry and motor boat.
Va was paid $2,000 a month to watch a house and water the marijuana plants. Her attorney maintained during the trial that she thought she was taking care of medicinal plants for a hospital.
A total of 11 people were indicted in the operation, which grew more than 4,100 marijuana plants in seven metro-area homes from November 2002 to September 2007.
Defendants Khoi Van Ha, 48, South Sioux City, Bao Quoc Nguyen, 40, Sioux City, and Tru Quoc Nguyen, 36, Sioux City, each pleaded guilty earlier this month to a single count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
In July, Kaveh Movafaghi-Toosi, Armin Assadi-Ziari and Dat Vo each pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. Vo also pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to launder money.
David Nguyen, 39, Dakota Dunes, pleaded guilty in June to one count of continuing criminal enterprise and one count of conspiracy to launder money.
John Nguyen, 23, charged with making false declarations before a grand jury about the marijuana-growing operation, pleaded guilty in April.
In January, Phong Duy Le, 29, Sioux City, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
Phieu Van Nguyen, 48, of Dakota Dunes, was convicted of continuing criminal enterprise and six counts of money laundering. He was found not guilty of two counts of money laundering.
Va Thi Nguyen, 42, Sioux City, was found guilty of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
Phieu pleaded guilty Aug. 8 to a single count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. Ten counts of structuring financial transactions against him were dropped.
Prosecutors said during the weeklong trial that Phieu supervised the $2 million operation and pocketed $1 million from it, using the money to buy a Mini Cooper, Toyota Camry and motor boat.
Va was paid $2,000 a month to watch a house and water the marijuana plants. Her attorney maintained during the trial that she thought she was taking care of medicinal plants for a hospital.
A total of 11 people were indicted in the operation, which grew more than 4,100 marijuana plants in seven metro-area homes from November 2002 to September 2007.
Defendants Khoi Van Ha, 48, South Sioux City, Bao Quoc Nguyen, 40, Sioux City, and Tru Quoc Nguyen, 36, Sioux City, each pleaded guilty earlier this month to a single count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
In July, Kaveh Movafaghi-Toosi, Armin Assadi-Ziari and Dat Vo each pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. Vo also pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to launder money.
David Nguyen, 39, Dakota Dunes, pleaded guilty in June to one count of continuing criminal enterprise and one count of conspiracy to launder money.
John Nguyen, 23, charged with making false declarations before a grand jury about the marijuana-growing operation, pleaded guilty in April.
In January, Phong Duy Le, 29, Sioux City, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
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