(MO) Missouri Siblings Handed Lengthy Prison Terms for Small Marijuana Grow [View all]

An eastern Missouri brother and sister have been sentenced to a combined 37 years in prison for growing 12 pot plants and eight seedlings.

On Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Kenneth W. Pratte sentenced 24-year-old David DePriest to 22 years in prison, and his 36-year-old sister, Natalie DePriest, received a 15-year sentence.

Prosecutors sought the harsh sentences, saying it was a “large-scale” grow and that guns and bullet-proof vests were present in the home.

But neither the guns nor vests were illegal, and the couple wasn’t charged with a weapons enhancement.

Defense Attorney Dan Viets had asked for 5 years probation following the completion of a 120 day drug treatment program, arguing that 12 plants and eight baby sprouts in a closet are not a “large-scale” operation. The judge said “no.”

http://www.thedailychronic.net/2013/26327/missouri-siblings-get-37-years-for-small-marijuana-grow/