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MMA referee Josh Rosenthal sentenced to 37 months for pot-growing operation

991 views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  kantowrestler 
#1 ·
MMA referee Josh Rosenthal sentenced to 37 months for pot-growing operation

by Steven Marrocco on Jul 02, 2013 at 5:00 pm ET

josh-rosenthal.jpgVeteran MMA referee Josh Rosenthal today was sentenced to 37 months in prison, three years' probation and a $100 fee for his role in a large-scale pot operation in Oakland, Calif.

The sentence matches the prison time recommended in a January plea deal Rosenthal copped with federal prosecutors, though it shaves two years off probation.

Without a deal, Rosenthal faced 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and a minimum of five years' probation.

A representative for U.S. District Court judge Saundra Brown Armstrong, who issued the sentence, confirmed Rosenthal's punishment with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). Rosenthal's attorney could not be reached for comment.

Rosenthal was arrested in April 2012 after federal agents raided an Oakland warehouse owned by Rosenthal and an associate that contained 1,356 marijuana plants worth an estimated $6 million. He initially pleaded not guilty to drug charges.

Despite his trouble with the law, Rosenthal officiated a pair of MMA events in Utah and California over the past two months. He earlier declined comment on his case.

Rosenthal was a regular at UFC events and oversaw several high-profile bouts, including a heavyweight title fight at UFC 116 between then-champ Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, which drew praise from UFC President Dana White.

http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/...tenced-to-37-months-for-pot-growing-operation
 
#5 ·
3 years for growing a whole warehouse of drugs worth 6 million! His lawyer is good! He should of got that 10 years to life imo! Its not like it was 1 or 2 plats in his back garden this was an organised illegal business. He got of far to lightly.
 
#7 ·
Considering the actual harm he was doing to society (virtually none) I think his sentence was egregious. I realize this isn't the state of the law currently, but the law is frequently wrong, and it's not until later, once it's changed that people start going "Wow, what the hell were we thinking, throwing people in jail for this stuff?"


Also, I spoke with Keith Kizer on the issue of his reffing for the NSAC in the future, and while he didn't give me a flat yes, he did say there was no need to kick a guy while he's down- I think he'll be back reffing as soon as he's out.
 
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