Former resident sentenced for marijuana cultivation

TELLURIDE, CO—Former resident Avery MacCracken pled guilty earlier this year in U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado for cultivating less than 50 marijuana plants, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §(a) (1) and (b) (1) (D), on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. MacCracken was sentenced last week to 18 months imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.

“Use of public lands for growing marijuana, as well as producing methamphetamines, is on the rise,” BLM Special Agent in Charge John Silence said. “This activity is a major public safety concern for Bureau law enforcement officers, and the ramifications of breaking the law on BLM public lands are severe. Additionally, we have a long standing partnership working with the San Miguel County Sheriff.”

San Miguel County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered marijuana growing on BLM public land located in San Miguel County in September 2003. A year later, MacCracken was arrested in Montana.

-BLM-