Two from pot raid in Olney sentenced

Two men connected with the Black Pearl

medical marijuana growing and dispensary business on U.S. 93 in

Olney have been sentenced in federal court.

According to court documents, Ryan

Blindheim, 35, of Whitefish, purchased an old warehouse in Olney

and, with help from Evan Corum, 35, of Whitefish, transformed it

into a grow operation. Agents found 488 marijuana plants and 70

pounds of bulk marijuana at the site when it was raided on March

14.

Prior to the raid, agents from U.S.

Department of Homeland Security tracked deposits Blindheim and

Corum made in a Whitefish Credit Union savings account. Deposits in

November 2010 alone ranged from $3,000 to $9,000 and totaled

$86,850.

Blindheim said he invested $300,000

purchasing the 18,000-square-foot building and equipping it with

grow equipment. He has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture

marijuana and money laundering and awaits sentencing.

Corum, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy

to launder money, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Donald

Molloy on Dec. 1 to six months in prison and six months on house

arrest. The $86,850 from the credit union was forfeited.

Michael Kassner, 24, of Kalispell, who

also was arrested in connection with the Black Pearl raid, was

sentenced by Molloy on Nov. 10 to 12 months and one day in prison.

According to court documents, he and Tyler Roe, 29, of Kalispell,

lived on the premises and took care of the plants.

Kassner, who had the electricity bill

in his name, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

Roe, who considered himself the “on-site manager,” has pleaded

guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and awaits

sentencing.