An Abbotsford exotic animal trainer has received an 18-month conditional sentence (house arrest) for a grow-op that was discovered on his property in April 2010.
Gerry Therrien, 58, was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court in Chilliwack on Monday for production of a controlled substance. He was also ordered to pay restitution of about $11,400.
He previously pleaded guilty to the offence, while charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking and fraudulently consuming electricity or gas were stayed.
Therrien’s son Luc, 25, and another man, Houston Kyle Roach, 24, were also charged in the case, but all charges were stayed against them.
Gerry Therrien is the owner/operator of Action Animals, which trains animals for TV, films, music videos, live performances and more, according to its website.
His animals include tigers, bears, cougars, wolves and baboons.
Abbotsford Police conducted a search of Therrien’s property on Matsqui Prairie in April 2010 and found 1,600 marijuana plants in the loft of an outbuilding.
At the time, police said the main floor of the building contained exotic animals, as did other buildings on the property.