Houston Man Who Played Anti-Drug Dog to Serve Jail Time for Pot Grow-Ops, Weapons Charges

A Houston man who at one time played McGruff the drug-sniffing anti-Crime Dog, will serve jail time for federal drug and weapons charges.

A Texas judge sentenced 41-year-old John Morales to 16 years in a federal prison after law enforcement officials discovered at least 1,000 marijuana plants at two different grow operations.

Authorities told the Associated Press that they also found 27 weapons at the indoor farms that belonged to Morales.

Among the arms police officers found at the grow-op sites were grenade launchers and 9,000 rounds of ammo.

Morales pled guilty to the charges.

Morales' defense attorney Ken Fesler II claimed in court that the 41-year-old got into the drug business to make extra money for sick family members.

A drug detecting dog picked up the scent of marijuana from Morales' vehicle once police stopped him for driving above the speed limit in Galveston, Texas three years ago.

Police officers told AP the Houston resident had a clipboard in his car that held maps to the grow-op sites.