The trial of the former Crime Stoppers president in Windsor-Essex has started.
Jon Paul Fuller, 47, has pleaded not guilty to production, possession and trafficking of marijuana charges.
On September 21, 2016, the OPP seized 2,900 marijuana plants at a property at 1935 Fox Run Rd. in Leamington.
At the time, police said it was the largest drug bust in Essex County history, with plants between eight and 12 feet in height and an estimated value of $2.9-million.
Justice Renee Pomerance ruled Tuesday the search warrant used by police was valid so the trial moves forward.
Crown Attorney Paul Bailey says one of his 29 witnesses will include a woman who will testify she was growing the drugs for Fuller because she believed he had a Health Canada licence to grow medical marijuana.
Fuller had served on the local Crime Stoppers Board of Directors for three years.
He was elected president of the Windsor-Essex organization in 2016.
A second person was charged in the bust, but drug trafficking and possession charges against Doc Phan Van of Leamington were dismissed in March 2018.
