HydroIndustry
Member
Here is a link to another situation that occurred in Richmond, Virgina. During a dumpster dive, police found credit card receipts at a local hydroponic store and decided to do some further investigation. Evidently, enough evidence was accumulated to obtain a search warrant and the target was found growing 63 marijuana plants total.
What's interesting about this case is while the grower was in lock-up, he bragged to his cellies that he had grown over 100 plants. Charged in federal court, his cellies showed up at his trial and testified for the prosecution that the defendent had bragged about growing over 100 plants and he was subsequently convicted of growing 100 plants or more, with a significantly longer sentence as a result. This charge was based solely on the testimony of the cellmates, since he was only found to have 63 plants, and many of those were cuttings.
Needless to say, the defendent was found guilty of:
Conspiracy to manufacture more than one-hundred marijuana plants;
Manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute more than 100...;
Maintaining a place for the distribution, storage, or use of marijuana;
Oh, and he had a gun... but since the government couldn't prove it worked, they dropped that charge.
Sentence: 60 months each for the first 2 charges, 27 months for the third, all concurrent; followed by 60 months of supervised (drug tested) release; and a $20,000.00 forfeiture.
Of course, his cellies got a bit of time knocked off their sentences as a result of their cooperation. Never underestimate the power of government, and snitches, my friends.
http://pacer.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinion.pdf/075153.U.pdf
Oh, and the case and penalty was upheld on appeal.
What's interesting about this case is while the grower was in lock-up, he bragged to his cellies that he had grown over 100 plants. Charged in federal court, his cellies showed up at his trial and testified for the prosecution that the defendent had bragged about growing over 100 plants and he was subsequently convicted of growing 100 plants or more, with a significantly longer sentence as a result. This charge was based solely on the testimony of the cellmates, since he was only found to have 63 plants, and many of those were cuttings.
Needless to say, the defendent was found guilty of:
Conspiracy to manufacture more than one-hundred marijuana plants;
Manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute more than 100...;
Maintaining a place for the distribution, storage, or use of marijuana;
Oh, and he had a gun... but since the government couldn't prove it worked, they dropped that charge.
Sentence: 60 months each for the first 2 charges, 27 months for the third, all concurrent; followed by 60 months of supervised (drug tested) release; and a $20,000.00 forfeiture.
Of course, his cellies got a bit of time knocked off their sentences as a result of their cooperation. Never underestimate the power of government, and snitches, my friends.
http://pacer.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinion.pdf/075153.U.pdf
Oh, and the case and penalty was upheld on appeal.
