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Department of Justice United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley Western District of Virginia |
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CONTACT: Brian McGinn PHONE: 540-857-2974 FAX: 540-857-2179 EMAIL: Brian.McGinn@usdoj.gov www.usdoj.gov/usao/vaw |
POT CULTIVATOR SENTENCED TO 40 MONTHS FOR
GROWING DRUG IN NATIONAL FOREST
Jackson Shifflett Admitted to Growing Over 1,000 Marijuana Plants
United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced today that Jackson David Shifflett, 51, of Glasgow, Virginia, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville yesterday for his role in an operation that grew more than 1,000 marijuana plants within the George Washington National Forest.
Jackson Shifflett, Jr., and his brother Michael Jay Shifflett, 46, also of Glasgow, were indicted in August of 2008 and charged with one count of conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 1,000 marijuana plants and one count of manufacturing, distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute over 1,000 marijuana plants.
On January 21, 2009, both men pled guilty to the conspiracy count included in the indictment. At that hearing, the defendants admitted to growing marijuana in a secluded area of the George Washington National Forest. After both men were taken into Federal custody on August 26, 2008, law enforcement officials destroyed the marijuana plants.
Yesterday in District Court, Jackson Shifflett, Jr. was sentenced to 40 months of incarceration to be followed by a three-year period of supervised release thereafter. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. In addition, to the above sentence, the Court ordered the forfeiture to the United States certain of Shifflett’s real property located in the town of Glasgow and Rockbridge County. On April 30, 2009, Michael Shifflett was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police and the United States Forest Service. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald Huber is prosecuting the case for the United States.