Grass in statue nets two years

By Jessica Stith
of The Daily Times Staff

A man who was found in possession of a statue of Jesus Christ packed with thousands of grams of marijuana pleaded guilty Monday and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Orlando Garza Garcia, 26, Gillenwater Court, Greenback, entered a best interest plea to charges of possession of a Schedule VI substance with intent for resale and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Co-defendant Luis Eduardo Rodriguez, 31, decided not to plea, and a trial date was scheduled for Oct. 25. Charges against a third defendant, Christobol Mancilla Cardona, 38, were bound over but are still pending review by a grand jury.
Garcia’s attorney, Damon Wooten, said his client wanted to enter a best interest plea because he had “served enough time” and “will be released” soon after pleading.
Blount County Assistant District Attorney General Kathy Aslinger told Blount County Circuit Court Judge Mike Meares that the charges stemmed from a Nov. 30, 2006, incident.
She said members of the 5th Judicial District Drug Task Force and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) searched the residence after being tipped off about drug activity in the home where the three men lived with two females.
Inside of the residence, officers located 6,664.3 grams (about 15 pounds) of marijuana hidden inside a hollowed out statue of Jesus Christ and about $7,000 in cash. They also found small amounts of marijuana, paraphernalia and prescription pills throughout the residence, Aslinger said.
Aslinger said Garcia was participating in and assisting in selling marijuana from the residence. She said it was a residence where several people stopped to buy marijuana.
Meares accepted Garcia’s guilty plea and sentenced him to two years in prison on the charge of possession of a Schedule VI substance with intent for resale. He also sentenced Garcia to pay a $2,000 fine on the charge.
He sentenced Garcia to 11 months and 29 days in prison on the possession of drug paraphernalia charge and said all but 256 days of that would be suspended. He will also be required to pay a $150 fine for the charge.
The two sentences are to be served concurrently, and Garcia already had 256 days of jail credit, Meares said.
After his release from prison, Garcia will immediately be placed in federal custody and will be deported — therefore Meares sentenced him to unsupervised probation after his release.
According to earlier reports, Cardona, Rodriguez and Garcia are from Monterrey, Mexico, and ICE placed holds on all three men pending possible deportation.