After more than three months in custody, a Greater Sudbury man accused of growing and possessing a large amount of cannabis is free after his cousin said the drugs were his.
James Desrochers, 23, was charged, along with his cousin, Marc Desrochers, following a Greater Sudbury Police raid of an apartment on Feb. 27 this
year.
Both men were charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking after police found 211 pot plants in various stages of growth.
Police also found 15 grams of hash oil, more than 1,500 grams of ?marijuana shake? and several large buds of marijuana. They also found $165 in cash inside a wallet and several items involved in a marijuana-growing operation, including lights and fans.
Only a few plants were full-grown and dozens were between six and 12 inches high.
The street price for a fully grown marijuana plant is estimated to be about $1,000.
Several pieces of identification were also seized and most of them belonged to Marc Desrochers, who has no previous criminal record.
At the Sudbury courthouse Thursday, Marc Desrochers said he lived alone at the address raided by police, all the drugs and drug paraphernalia seized were his and that his cousin had nothing to do with the drug-growing operation.
While testifying as an ?adverse witness? for the Crown, Marc Desrochers told federal Crown prosecutor Natalie Boivin that his cousin had nothing to do with the grow operation and had nothing to do with the drugs and items seized by police.
His cousin used to live in the same unit, but he moved out last fall, said Marc Desrochers.
?I lived there by myself,? he said.
His cousin would visit to say hello and pick up old mail. He knew nothing about his grow operation in the basement of the apartment building, Marc Desrochers said.
When asked if he intends to plead guilty at his own trial this coming February, Marc Desrochers said he does.
When asked if he was under any coercion or threats to testify Thursday, he said he was not.
After hearing the evidence, Justice Yvon Renaud agreed there was no evidence against James Desrochers and all charges were dismissed.
