POT DISPENSARY OWNER SENTENCED TO PRISON

The owner of a Bakersfield marijuana dispensary was sentenced Monday
to six months in prison, six months home detention and three years
supervised release.

William Eugene Connelly, 51, the owner of Seven Seas Compassionate
Care Center, 6403 Seven Seas Ave., had pleaded guilty in March to
possessing 40 pounds of marijuana with the intent to distribute.

That is a violation of federal law. He was sentenced in U.S. District
Court, Fresno, by Judge Anthony W. Ishii.

The judge said Connelly must also register as a drug offender, wear an
electronic alcohol monitoring device, participate in a program of
mental health treatment and participate in drug and alcohol testing.

Connelly bought the dispensary in June 2006, one year after the U.S.
Supreme Court upheld the federal prohibition on the medical use of
marijuana. He made about $10,000 a month from selling marijuana at his
dispensary, the U.S. Attorney's office reported.

The judge noted that Connelly has a criminal history including four
convictions for battery, providing false information on a document and
four convictions for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar.