Prosecutor recommends probation for Montana Cannabis partner

By EVE BYRON Independent Record
 
Chris Lindsey, a former partner in the Helena-based medical marijuana business Montana Cannabis, won’t spend any time in prison if a federal court judge follows a recommendation by federal prosecutors.
In court documents filed this week, Joseph Thaggard and Paulette Stewart, with the U.S. Attorney’s office, propose that Lindsey, 45, be sentenced to five years of probation, with six months of house arrest. The recommendation is based on his poor health, as well as that of his wife. Prosecutors note that Lindsey, who is an attorney, is the primary breadwinner in the family and they have an 8-year-old son to support.
“… the defendant and his wife are both ill, they have a young child who requires their care, the defendant does not pose a threat to commit new crimes and the cost of the defendant’s medical care is not something that should be foisted on the taxpayers,” Thaggard wrote in court documents.
Lindsey, who suffers from ulcerative colitis and/or Crohn’s Disease, is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to maintain drug premises. He declined to comment on the sentencing memorandum by Thaggard, other than to say he appreciates the recommendation.
In court records, Thaggard notes that although Lindsey was one of the founding members of Montana Cannabis in 2009, his active participation in the conspiracy was “relatively short-lived,” lasting from March 2009 until January 2010.
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