Marijuana was hidden in stove, cereal box, fridge
Ma was arrested without incident after leaving a Pelham Road residence. He was carrying a paper bag filled with 27 ounces of marijuana as well as a quantity of cash.
Police then executed search warrants at residences on Pelham Road and Strada Boulevard.
At the Pelham Road home, police discovered marijuana hidden throughout the property including inside the ceiling, behind a wall, in a stove, in the fridge and inside a box of Frosted Flakes.
A search of the Strada Boulevard home revealed more than $10,000 hidden between a bed and the mattress.
Court was told Ma previously served a 46-month sentence in a U.S. jail on a conviction of conspiracy to import a substance.
A 46-year-old man’s plans to delay sentencing — after he was convicted of being in possession of 30 pounds of marijuana — went up in smoke in court Thursday.
Lan Ma pleaded guilty in May 2016 to a charge of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
His sentencing had been adjourned on several occasions and, most recently, his lawyer had requested the matter be further adjourned until the new year so that more information could be available on what the federal government plans to do with existing legislation regarding marijuana.
The Liberal government has introduced draft legislation that would legalize marijuana by July 2018.
The bill proposes allowing adults 18 and over to possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis and buy cannabis or cannabis oil from a provincially-regulated retailer.
In an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Thursday, Judge Hugh Atwood denied Ma’s request to postpone sentencing until 2018, saying whatever the Liberals have in store in terms of amending current legislation, he doubts it will include legalizing commercial enterprises.
When Ma was arrested, Niagara police found more than $135,000 of marijuana stashed in a variety of locations including inside walls, in the oven and inside a box of cereal after executing search warrants at two Niagara homes.
All told, more than 30 pounds of pre-packaged pot and more than $14,500 in cash was seized.
Ma was under the conditions of a court order at the time of his arrest that he not be in possession of any non-medically prescribed drugs.
“This certainly is a serious matter,” Atwood said.
Ma will return to court Nov. 21 for sentencing.
Niagara Regional Police began monitoring Ma’s movements in May 2013 after the St. Catharines street crime unit launched an investigation into the sale of marijuana across the region.