| Billings Gazette |
| Richard Flor, 68, was sentenced to five years in prison for growing medical marijuana in Montana |
A former medical marijuana provider in Montana is appealing his five-year federal prison sentence on charges of maintaining “drug-involved premises.”
Richard Flor, 68, of Miles City, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 19. He had asked for leniency because he suffers from numerous physical and mental ailments, reports the Associated Press.
Flor will be evaluated to determine the federal facility “best suited for him” to serve the sentence, at least if U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell’s recommendations are followed.
Flor’s attorney filed notice on Monday that he plans to appeal the case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Flor, his wife Sherry, 55, and their son Justin, 35, all pleaded guilty to drug charges related to a medical marijuana operation run out of their home.
Richard Flor co-owned Montana Cannabis, targeted in last year’s federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raids across Montana as part of the Obama Administration’s crackdown on medical marijuana. Federal agents searched more than two dozen Montana medical marijuana businesses, warehouses and residences.
According to the indictment, the three Flors were accused of conspiring with unnamed coconspirators to grow more than 220 pounds of marijuana in Helena, Miles City, and Three Forks, and to distribute the pot in Billings, Helena, Miles City and Missoula, reported Clair Johnson of the Billings Gazette.
Federal officials claimed the Flors got at least $1.7 million in cash proceeds from activity from January 2007 until March 15, 2011, according to the indictment. The three were accused of laundering some of the money through bank accounts to continue the operation.
The Flors were also charged with possessing 28 firearms, including various pistols, rifles, and semiautomatic and assault-style guns, the indictment said.
The indictment included one conspiracy count, one manufacturing count, three distribution counts, five firearms counts and one money-laundering count.
The conspiracy count alone carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five to 40 years in prison and a maximum $5 million fine. The firearms carried a mandatory minimum five years to life consecutive to any other sentence.