Feb. 8 (UPI) -- An actor who visited schools dressed up as the famous McGruff the Crime Dog was sentenced to 16 years in prison after police seized 1,000 marijuana plants, 27 weapons and 9,000 rounds of ammunition from his house.

John Morales was arrested in 2011 after Galveston, Texas, police pulled him over for speeding and found plans for two indoor pot-growing operations sitting on his front passenger seat.


When they got to his home, they found marijuana plants and weapons.

Morales, 41, pleaded guilty, but insisted he was nonviolent.

“Everything I read about you makes you seem like a scary person," said District Judge Vanessa Gilmore during sentencing.

McGruff the Crime Dog was an animated character created in the 1980s to spread crime awareness. Actors dressed up as the crime-fighting pooch to visit schools and film commercials to promote crime awareness.

[Washington Times] [CBS Houston]