San Leandro, California – In a major blow to the city’s marijuana trade, convicted felon Vincent Nguyen was sentenced to 78 months in prison for operating a marijuana grow house and illegally possessing firearms.
Nguyen, 21, of Oakland, was arrested on January 10, 2012 after complaints from citizens led to an investigation by the San Leandro Police Department. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2012 to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to the investigation, Nguyen operated a marijuana grow house at 3471 Carrillo Drive in San Leandro, where he was found to be in possession of 82 mature marijuana plants, almost one kilogram of marijuana packaged for sale, a Norinco US 7.62 caliber rifle with a high capacity magazine, a Romak-Romarm 7.62 caliber assault rifle that had been stolen, and a .45 caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol.
Nguyen’s plea agreement also revealed that he had previously been convicted in 2010 for felony possession of marijuana for sale. In addition, about $10,000 in cash, a 9mm Bryco Arms semiautomatic pistol, and more than 100 rounds of various caliber ammunition were found at the grow house and seized by law enforcement.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton, who also sentenced Nguyen to 3 years of supervised release. Nguyen was indicted, with others, by a federal grand jury on June 7, 2012.
Nguyen’s co-defendants, Van Do Nguyen and Loc Huynh, were sentenced by Judge Hamilton on January 23, 2013 to 72 months and 87 months in prison, respectively. The case was prosecuted by Brian C. Lewis with the assistance of Janice Pagsanjan of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation and subsequent sentencing are a significant victory for law enforcement in the fight against marijuana trafficking and illegal firearm possession.
Related Federal Cases
- Hung C Nguyen, Marijuana Manufacturing and Distribution, California 2017 · California
- David Wayne Holleman, Possessing with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, California 2012 · Iowa
- Chad Straub, Conspiring to Distribute Marijuana, California 2014 · Iowa
- Emmanuel Castrejon Cardenas, Conspiracy to Cultivate 50 or More Marijuana Plants, California 2016 · Alaska
- Omar Quintero, Marijuana Smuggling, California 2023 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking