Escondido

Two North County men were sentenced Monday to 18 months in a federal prison camp for operating two sophisticated marijuana plantations in warehouses in Escondido.

James Frederick Noble, 37, of Escondido and Dale Ernest Sparks, 49, of San Marcos will surrender at the camp March 23.

Sparks’ wife, Julie Ann Sparks of San Marcos, was ordered to perform 250 hours of community service, fined $50 and placed on five years’ probation by U.S. District Judge J. Lawrence Irving.

All three defendants pleaded guilty Jan. 6 to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana with intent to distribute after 3,547 marijuana plants were discovered in October, 1985, in two sophisticated, automated warehouses.

Dale Sparks also had pleaded guilty to submitting a tax return with false information, and Noble pleaded guilty to manufacturing marijuana. The men could have received eight years in prison, and Julie Sparks could have gotten a five-year term.

San Diego Gas & Electric filed a suit in March against Dale Sparks and Noble asking for $166,749 in unpaid electricity bills and $2 million in punitive damages.

Defense attorneys for the men argued that they didn’t receive any money from the operation, as it was raided before any large sales took place.

Dale Sparks admitted he made a mistake and told Irving that he had recently become a Christian and quoted the Bible to him.

“You planned a sophisticated operation here,” the judge told Dale Sparks. “You have earned a period of custody in this case.”