Cristina Evdochim handed a suspended sentence for cultivating cannabis plants at two properties

A business owner will likely be deported after she was caught growing dozens of marijuana plants – worth thousands of dollars – at two rental properties.

A beautician played a central role in growing marijuana plants worth thousands of dollars at two properties.

Cristina Evdochim, 37, is likely to be deported after she used fake names to help establish her sophisticated enterprise.

The Adelaide District Court on Friday heard 18 marijuana plants were found growing hydroponically at the Lockleys and Kidman Park properties.

The court heard the likely value of the crops was estimated between $6,000 and $12,000.

The court heard the crops had been growing between May to September, 2016.

The court heard Evdochim signed tenancies for the Lockleys and Kidman Park properties with her co-accused under fake names.

“You did so to keep the property so that it could be used, at some later point in time, to grow cannabis,” Judge Heath Barklay said.

Judge Barklay said without Evdochim’s ongoing help in the “commercial cannabis venture” the cultivation could not have occurred.

“Your assistance was not trivial or menial, instead you played a central role in obtaining the properties to facilitate the cultivation,” he said.

The court heard Evdochim felt pressured by her co-accused, who she was in a relationship with at the time, to commit the offending.

Cristina Evdochim was handed a suspended sentence for cultivating cannabis plants at two properties. Picture: Facebook

Evdochim, of Seaton, was found guilty by a jury in December of two counts of cultivating cannabis plants for sale.

She was found not guilty of large commercial drug trafficking.

The court heard Evdochim had operated a beautician business from her home since 2017, as well as working at a Tony and Mark’s supermarket.

The court heard Evdochim, who was born in Romania and came to Australia in 2013, would likely be deported as a result of the offending.

Judge Barklay sentenced Evdochim to 18 months jail, with a non-parole period of 11 months.

“The evidence represents a reasonably sophisticated purely commercial cannabis operation,” he said.

“There were two houses dedicated to producing 36 cannabis plants with the potential for significant financial gain.”

Due to Evdochim’s lack of criminal history and good work history, the sentence was suspended on a two-year good behaviour bond.