News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 31, 2007
Contact: Rhett Fonseca
Number: 206-553-1251

Anchorage Fugitive Apprehended and Sentenced to 60 Months
in Federal Prison For Growing Marijuana

OCT 31 -- (Anchorage) – DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Harvey L. Goehring and United States Attorney for the District of Alaska, Nelson P. Cohen, announced that Kenneth Gassman, a recent resident of Tennessee, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Anchorage to 60 months in prison for his 1998 conviction of growing 100 marijuana plants.

According to information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Stephan A. Collins, Gassman was originally charged in 1998 in Anchorage, Alaska, with conspiracy to grow marijuana and Gassman had pleaded guilty to growing 100 marijuana plants on March 26, 1999. Gassman, however, failed to appear for his June 16, 1999, sentencing hearing. Therefore, a Federal Arrest Warrant was generated for Gassman and his whereabouts were unknown until his arrest on June 28, 2007 near Nashville, Tennessee.

Gassman originally faced a sentence of approximately 30 months of imprisonment, but because of his failure to appear at his original sentencing hearing, Judge Sedwick imposed a longer term taking into account, Gassman’s further criminal conduct of failing to appear for sentencing. Mr. Cohen commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gassman.

ASAC Goehring commented that this is a good example of not being able to escape justice. At the end of the day, the long arm of the Federal Justice System reached out and grabbed Gassman with the end result netting Gassman twice as much time in prison.