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G3 Holistic owner and Rancho Cucamonga resident Aaron Sandusky, 41, was convicted of two counts of violating federal marijuana laws Friday by a jury which could not reach a decision on four other counts.
Conviction on the two counts could still net him a prison term of 10 years to life when he is sentenced on Jan. 7 in U.S. District Court.
Sandusky, who ran G3 Holistic, Inc. in Upland, Colton and Moreno Valley, was found guilty of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana plants, to possess with intent to distribute marijuana plants, and to maintain a drug-involved premises; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana plants, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
On each count of conviction, according to the release, the jury found Sandusky's crimes involved at least 1,000 marijuana plants.
Sandusky's attorney Roger Jon Diamond said the charges were a result of a federal raid on Nov. 1, 2011, at the G3 Ontario warehouse facility where marijuana was being grown to supply the dispensaries.
Jurors told Judge Percy Anderson on Friday that they could not reach a decision on the other four counts regarding the operation of the medicinal marijuana dispensaries by G3.
The other counts, according to the DOJ release, charged Sandusky with maintaining drug-involved premises at each of G3's marijuana stores in Upland, Colton and Moreno Valley and G3's marijuana grow warehouse in Ontario.
Sandusky, who had been free on bail, was taken into custody after the proceedings.
After the trial's end, Diamond said he was disappointed with the verdicts, "just given the fact we could not put on any evidence that we had."
Anderson had prohibited any discussion of the conflicts between California and federal marijuana laws in the case.
Diamond said he plans to appeal the verdicts after the sentencing in January.
Earlier, he said the federal government led his client to believe that the executive branch would not enforce federal medical marijuana law in California. State voters in 1996 approved Proposition 215, which allows the use and sale of medical marijuana.
President Barack Obama said in 2008 that the federal government would not prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries in states that had legalized it, Diamond said. Attorney General Eric Holder supported Obama's position, Diamond said.
On Friday, federal prosecutors Jay Robinson and Nick Pilgrim did not comment about the outcome.
Sandusky's supporters were surprised by the verdicts.
"I'm so shocked." said supporter Buryldean Andrews, of Montclair, who attended the trial. "Just the fact that they would not give him the chance to hug us goodbye."
Andrews, who uses medical marijuana to mitigate side effects resulting from having breast cancer, shingles and nerve damage after surgery, said she felt the decision was too harsh.
"It's a (federal) Schedule 1 drug. It shouldn't be nowhere near that (severe a sentence)," she said.
She added that she felt John Leslie Nuckolls II, 31, of Rialto, who was a founder and owner of G3 and who has called himself the CFO of G3, was an informant who "entrapped" Sandusky.
Nuckolls, who denied being a confidential informant for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in testimony, said he spoke with and worked for the agency, the county District Attorney's Office and the DEA.
Defense attorney Robison added Nuckolls had an agreement with the DA's Office in June 2009 and after helping the office with cases he had a felony charge dismissed.
"I'm disappointed in Johnny," Andrews said. "I feel Aaron was set up."
Chuck Neault Sr., 67, of Chino, a G3 patient was also upset because he felt the judge severely limited Sandusky's testimony by not allowing him to discuss Obama's position or California's medical marijuana law.
"They call this justice?" said Neault, who has a medical marijuana prescription for multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia and more, and uses a wheelchair. "Where a man can't even talk?"
Jurors were presented the case late Thursday and returned at 8 a.m. Friday.
The jury informed the judge Friday morning that they were struggling to reach unanimous decisions.
Later, the jury asked the court for Sandusky's testimony to be read to them.
They also asked the court if verdicts on some individual charges are independent of each other. The court responded that they were.
Sandusky was one of six people connected to G3 who were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2012, according to the DOJ release.
The other defendants, who each pleaded guilty prior to trial, were:
John Leslie Nuckolls II, 31, of Rialto, who was a founder and owner of G3 and who has called himself the CFO of G3;
Keith Alan Sandusky, 44, of Rancho Cucamonga, who was in charge of the day-to-day marijuana distribution operations of G3;
Paul Neumann Brownbridge, 29, of Upland, who worked at G3's Ontario marijuana grow operation;
Richard Irwin Kirchnavy, 45, of Rancho Cucamonga, who worked at G3's Ontario marijuana grow operation; and
Brandon Anton Gustafson, 30, of Yucaipa, who worked at G3's Ontario marijuana grow operation.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: dailybulletin.com
Author: Wes Woods II
Contact: Contact Us - DailyBulletin.com
Website: G3 Holistic dispensary owner Aaron Sandusky convicted of violating federal marijuana laws - DailyBulletin.com
Conviction on the two counts could still net him a prison term of 10 years to life when he is sentenced on Jan. 7 in U.S. District Court.
Sandusky, who ran G3 Holistic, Inc. in Upland, Colton and Moreno Valley, was found guilty of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana plants, to possess with intent to distribute marijuana plants, and to maintain a drug-involved premises; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana plants, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
On each count of conviction, according to the release, the jury found Sandusky's crimes involved at least 1,000 marijuana plants.
Sandusky's attorney Roger Jon Diamond said the charges were a result of a federal raid on Nov. 1, 2011, at the G3 Ontario warehouse facility where marijuana was being grown to supply the dispensaries.
Jurors told Judge Percy Anderson on Friday that they could not reach a decision on the other four counts regarding the operation of the medicinal marijuana dispensaries by G3.
The other counts, according to the DOJ release, charged Sandusky with maintaining drug-involved premises at each of G3's marijuana stores in Upland, Colton and Moreno Valley and G3's marijuana grow warehouse in Ontario.
Sandusky, who had been free on bail, was taken into custody after the proceedings.
After the trial's end, Diamond said he was disappointed with the verdicts, "just given the fact we could not put on any evidence that we had."
Anderson had prohibited any discussion of the conflicts between California and federal marijuana laws in the case.
Diamond said he plans to appeal the verdicts after the sentencing in January.
Earlier, he said the federal government led his client to believe that the executive branch would not enforce federal medical marijuana law in California. State voters in 1996 approved Proposition 215, which allows the use and sale of medical marijuana.
President Barack Obama said in 2008 that the federal government would not prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries in states that had legalized it, Diamond said. Attorney General Eric Holder supported Obama's position, Diamond said.
On Friday, federal prosecutors Jay Robinson and Nick Pilgrim did not comment about the outcome.
Sandusky's supporters were surprised by the verdicts.
"I'm so shocked." said supporter Buryldean Andrews, of Montclair, who attended the trial. "Just the fact that they would not give him the chance to hug us goodbye."
Andrews, who uses medical marijuana to mitigate side effects resulting from having breast cancer, shingles and nerve damage after surgery, said she felt the decision was too harsh.
"It's a (federal) Schedule 1 drug. It shouldn't be nowhere near that (severe a sentence)," she said.
She added that she felt John Leslie Nuckolls II, 31, of Rialto, who was a founder and owner of G3 and who has called himself the CFO of G3, was an informant who "entrapped" Sandusky.
Nuckolls, who denied being a confidential informant for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in testimony, said he spoke with and worked for the agency, the county District Attorney's Office and the DEA.
Defense attorney Robison added Nuckolls had an agreement with the DA's Office in June 2009 and after helping the office with cases he had a felony charge dismissed.
"I'm disappointed in Johnny," Andrews said. "I feel Aaron was set up."
Chuck Neault Sr., 67, of Chino, a G3 patient was also upset because he felt the judge severely limited Sandusky's testimony by not allowing him to discuss Obama's position or California's medical marijuana law.
"They call this justice?" said Neault, who has a medical marijuana prescription for multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia and more, and uses a wheelchair. "Where a man can't even talk?"
Jurors were presented the case late Thursday and returned at 8 a.m. Friday.
The jury informed the judge Friday morning that they were struggling to reach unanimous decisions.
Later, the jury asked the court for Sandusky's testimony to be read to them.
They also asked the court if verdicts on some individual charges are independent of each other. The court responded that they were.
Sandusky was one of six people connected to G3 who were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2012, according to the DOJ release.
The other defendants, who each pleaded guilty prior to trial, were:
John Leslie Nuckolls II, 31, of Rialto, who was a founder and owner of G3 and who has called himself the CFO of G3;
Keith Alan Sandusky, 44, of Rancho Cucamonga, who was in charge of the day-to-day marijuana distribution operations of G3;
Paul Neumann Brownbridge, 29, of Upland, who worked at G3's Ontario marijuana grow operation;
Richard Irwin Kirchnavy, 45, of Rancho Cucamonga, who worked at G3's Ontario marijuana grow operation; and
Brandon Anton Gustafson, 30, of Yucaipa, who worked at G3's Ontario marijuana grow operation.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: dailybulletin.com
Author: Wes Woods II
Contact: Contact Us - DailyBulletin.com
Website: G3 Holistic dispensary owner Aaron Sandusky convicted of violating federal marijuana laws - DailyBulletin.com
