Long Prison Term For Monroe County Man In Pot Case
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A Monroe County man convicted of growing marijuana in greenhouses with his son has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The government says 52-year-old Gerald Duval Jr. and son Jeremy Duval "shamelessly exploited" Michigan's medical marijuana law to try to get around a federal ban on pot.
Gerald Duval was sentenced Monday by Detroit federal Judge David Lawson, while Jeremy Duval is returning to court Tuesday.
The greenhouses on Ida Center Road in Monroe County were approximately 100 feet long and 50 feet wide.
The Duvals admit they were growing marijuana but insist it was for medicinal use under Michigan law. Jeremy Duval says he thought the large operation was protected.
Drug Enforcement Agency officials said even if the Duvals were licensed to distribute marijuana, they took advantage of the laws and far exceeded their limitations, the Monroe Evening News reported.
Gerald Duval's sentence was six years less than what prosecutors had recommended.
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