By: Nik Ramsdell
Man running a Bangor Herbal Tea & Tobacco smoking lounge for medical marijuana, got sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. Herbal Tea & Tobacco is still open to the public, just the smoking lounge is closed.
Christopher Ruhlin, 49, of Holden and Terrence Sawtelle, 49, of Bangor were charged for selling marijuana to people who don’t have medical marijuana cards. Ruhlin and Sawtelle both plead guilty last year to drug conspiracy charges. To go along with that, Ruhlin plead guilty to structuring, which means he was trying to hide cash deposits from bank regulators. He was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Bangor. Ruhlin and Sawtelle both broke federal law and did not abide by Maine’s medical marijuana statues.
An undercover agent who works for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration went into their smoke lounge and bought marijuana illegally on three separate occasions. The agent did not have the proper paperwork for the purchase.
Sawtelle stated he was “deeply remorseful” for what happened. He believe everyone who was coming in for the medical marijuana was being truthful and had no intention of selling it illegally.
Sawtelle will be reporting to prison on March 14.
The two had four patients in their books, but the law states you must have five patients. They used the 5th position as a “floater”, anyone who would come in off the street.
Three others who helped Ruhlin were sentenced last year in a case after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy charges, which has a maximum sentence of 20 years and up to a $1 million fine.
