Man sentenced in medical marijuana case

By Jackie Valley

Monday, Oct. 24, 2011 | 12:29 p.m.

A man caught unloading bags of marijuana behind a Las Vegas dispensary last year has been sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release, the Justice Department announced today.

John Allen Youngblood, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute approximately 9 kilos of marijuana, according to Daniel G. Bogden, Nevada’s U.S. Attorney. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George.

Youngblood was one of six people charged in January in connection with distribution of marijuana through illegal storefront “medical marijuana” businesses, officials said. The other five conspirators — John Birmele, Kelly Birmele, Laura Rhoades, Timothy Hough and Michel Ellsworth — pleaded guilty to felony drug distribution or money laundering offenses.

According to Youngblood’s guilty plea agreement, he and the co-defendants conspired to distribute marijuana in return for money and other compensation.

They made marijuana sales through purported “medical marijuana” dispensaries in Las Vegas, including The Happiness Consultants (810 E. Sahara Avenue) and The Happiness Consultants II (6822 W. Cheyenne Avenue), officials said.

When federal authorities executed a search warrant in September 2010 at The Happiness Consultants II, they found Youngblood unloading bags of marijuana from his white Lexus parked behind the dispensary, officials said. Authorities seized about 9 kilos of marijuana during the search and $48,000 in cash from his Lexus.

Youngblood, who is from Los Angeles and has three prior felony convictions in California, must forfeit the money confiscated from his Lexus and two handguns found inside the dispensary, officials said.

In December 2010, authorities charged 10 other people with distributing marijuana through storefront “medical marijuana” businesses, officials said. All those defendants also have pleaded guilty to felony offenses related to distributing marijuana or money laundering.

Nevada law does not recognize storefront “medical marijuana” dispensaries, and it is illegal to sell “medical marijuana” in the state, officials said.

Authorities said dispensary operators often claim they accept donations rather than compensation for the marijuana to conceal their illegal businesses.

Officials said investigations regarding illegal marijuana dispensaries continue as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Nevada High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.