News » Pierre Werner Sentenced, Remains Defiant

Medical marijuana activist and former dispensary owner Pierre Werner was sentenced by a federal judge in a plea agreement yesterday. The judge ordered 41 months imprisonment, over $27,000 in “restitution”, and 3 years of supervised probation.

Federal U.S. District Judge Philip Pro also ordered Werner undergo substance abuse and mental health treatment and that he “stay away from businesses selling medical marijuana.”

Werner must surrender to federal prison officials by January 9 to begin his incarceration.

In a press interview after the sentencing, Werner called his federal prosecution “stupid” and said that it’s time for others to pick up the MMJ fight. “I was the one they got their pound of flesh from, but they will never win. Marijuana will be legalized.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Giles called Werner’s family dispensary a “highly organized criminal operation” and said it was a “drug-trafficking enterprise” that blatantly did billboard advertising. You know, like Philip Morris or Budweiser.

Werner’s mother Reynalda received four months in prison and four months home detention and his younger brother Clyde received three years of probation. The Werners were part of a federal sting against several dispensaries in September of last year. The dispensary’s business license was not suspended until two months later. Funny how the county and state were willing to license a business, despite it’s being an “illegal enterprise.”

Despite the raids that ultimately shut down the business in September, arrests on the Werner family were not made until January.

[source Las Vegas Review Journal]

Tags: Colorado, dr reefer, marijuana, medical marijuana, MMJ, Nevada, pierre werner