A case that was investigated by the New York State Police has ended with three men being sentenced after pleading guilty to first-degree criminal possession of marijuana. The men were charged with the offense for allegedly being involved in a major grow operation of the drug.
In addition to the three men, a fourth man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor offense. The three who pleaded guilty to felonies claimed that they were taking care of the fourth man’s plants. The three were sentenced on March 17 in Cayuga County. All three men were sentenced to serve five years of probation. Two of the three men received shock probation sentences with an additional 25 to 50 hours of community service.
The men were accused of growing 118 marijuana plants on land owned by the state. Some of the plants were reportedly 7 feet tall. The plants were discovered in September 2015, and the men were charged in August 2016. The fourth man was reportedly tried separately, and prosecutors stated that he received a better deal by cooperating with them.
Drug crimes are treated seriously in New York. When people are facing charges, they may be imprisoned if they are convicted of many drug offenses. Experienced criminal defense attorneys may be able to negotiate pleas to probation or to lesser charges for some of their clients. If people choose to fight their cases through trials, attorneys may work to build the strongest possible defense cases to present to the juries. They may advocate for their clients’ interests through motions hearings and through the trials in efforts to obtain favorable outcomes for the clients.
Source: Auburn Pub, “Three men sentenced in major marijuana grow operation in Cayuga County“, Megan Blarr, March 17, 2017
