JAIL TIME GIVEN FOR 'RELIGIOUS-BASED' MARIJUANA

FRANKLIN COUNTY - A woman accused of tending an allegedly
religion-based marijuana crop in Fannettsburg last winter was given
local jail time for her part in the operation.

Karen L. Sheaffer, 47, Carlisle, was sentenced Wednesday to nine to 23
months in Franklin County Jail by Judge Shawn Meyers.

Her three co-defendants -- Robert G. Henry, Carl Goshorn and Cynthia
Ritchie -- are scheduled to go to trial in January.

Henry, 50, Fannettsburg, is accused of directing the pot-growing
operation from his Cumberland County jail cell last winter. He gained
notoriety three years ago when he claimed his marijuana possession and
use was part of a religious practice.

He claimed to be an ordained minister and a member of the Hawaii
Cannabis Ministry.

Henry was on trial in Cumberland County at the time for possession of
a large amount of marijuana. He was convicted, then appealed. He went
to jail in September 2009 and was paroled June 11.

The next day, he posted $100,000 bail in Franklin County because he
had been charged in March with two counts each of felony possession of
a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, and conspiracy to
deliver illegal drugs. He also faced two misdemeanor drug possession
charges.

The charges were filed March 2 as the result of a two-month
investigation into pot-growing activity at an abandoned
Fannettsburg-area trailer last winter.

At the same time, Sheaffer was charged with two counts each of
manufacture, delivery, and possession of an illegal drug with the
intent to deliver and criminal conspiracy; and two counts of
misdemeanor use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

She pleaded guilty to one of the felony possession with the intent to
deliver charges on Aug. 20.

In April, Ritchie, 56, Fannettsburg, was charged with felony drug and
conspiracy charges and a misdemeanor pot possession charge. In May,
Goshorn, 46, Fannettsburg, was charged with two counts of felony
manufacture/delivery/possession of an illegal drug, three counts of
felony criminal conspiracy and three counts of the use and/or
possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to authorities, Henry allegedly left his plants in the care
of Goshorn and the two women when he reported to jail in Cumberland
County in September 2009.

The women were allegedly taking care of the plants located in Henry's
Fannettsburg mobile home. Goshorn was supposed to be keeping an eye on
the women to make sure they were following Henry's orders, issued
through letters and telephone calls from the prison.

Police first became aware of the pot-growing operation in January
after being tipped off by an informant who had noticed unusual
activity at what was supposed to be an abandoned trailer near
Fannettsburg.

According to police, state police troopers, the Pennsylvania State
Police vice unit and Franklin County Drug Task Force raided the
trailer and a residence on Redwood Drive in Fannettsburg.

They allegedly discovered hundreds of live pot plants, drug
paraphernalia and growing materials at the trailer and marijuana
plants and paraphernalia at the Redwood Drive residence.

Henry, Goshorn and Ritchie have pleaded not guilty to the charges.