Medical marijuana providers sentenced in federal court
Two of three Kalispell men arrested last year in connection to a medical marijuana business in Columbia Falls were sentenced last week in federal court in Missoula.
Aaron Durbin, 29, Justin Maddock, 40, and Trey Scales, 33, were arrested March 14, 2011, after Homeland Security Investigations personnel raided Four Seasons Gardening and Good Medicine Providers on Jellison Road in Columbia Falls. Similar raids by federal agents took place the same day at medical marijuana businesses in Helena, Bozeman and Belgrade.
According to court records, Durbin, Maddock, Scales and other unidentified individuals grew marijuana for Good Medicine Providers Inc. at several locations, including Reserve Drive in Kalispell, on U.S. 93 in Olney, and at the Jellison Road site.
Drug agents reported that the three men were involved in several marijuana sales in 2010. Durbin allegedly converted the Olney site into a significant marijuana growing operation and helped maintain the plants there and on Jellison Road.
Investigators also reported that Maddock operated a large marijuana growing operation on Reserve Drive and a smaller one at his residence in Whitefish. Agents that searched both locations on March 14, 2011, uncovered more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
According to the charging documents, Durbin owned Good Medicine Providers, Four Seasons Gardening and Northern Lights Medical. The latter business helped individuals apply for a Montana medical marijuana card.
A confidential informant was prepared to testify that Durbin allegedly traveled to New York on two occasions and picked up $50,000 in cash for medical marijuana that was delivered there. Glacier Bank employees were ready to testify that Durbin deposited $71,900 in 16 cash deposits ranging from $4,000 to $6,000 in an attempt to avoid reporting obligations.
On June 22, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy sentenced Durbin and Maddock after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.
Durbin was sentenced to 12 months of house arrest, a $100 special assessment and five years probation. Maddock was sentenced to nine months in prison with three months house arrest, a $100 special assessment and three years of supervised release.