Randy Martin Leibenguth and Stephanie Marie Gibson (Formerly Leibenguth) Sentenced in U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Helena, on November 9, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, Randy Martin Leibenguth, age 25, and Stephanie Marie Gibson (formerly Leibenguth), age 38, residents of Belgrade, appeared for sentencing.

Leibenguth was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: three months and then nine months’ home arrest
• Special assessment: $200
• Community service: 150 hours
• Forfeiture: $50,000
• Supervised release: five years

Gibson was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: time served (five days)
• Special assessment: $200
• Community service: 150 hours
• Forfeiture: $50,000
• Supervised release: four years

They were sentenced in connection with their guilty pleas to manufacture of marijuana and money laundering.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

From approximately March 2009 until March 14, 2011, Randy Leibenguth, Stephanie Leibenguth, and another individual identified here as Z.Z. manufactured and distributed marijuana in the Bozeman/Belgrade area. The Leibenguths owned and operated Montana Cannabis Ministry/Montanans Cultivating Medicine (MCM). Z.Z. owned and operated Outlaw Hill Health Institute (OHHI). An additional grow operation was (prior to March 2011) Happy Acres that was operated by the Leibenguths and Z.Z.”

On March 14, 2011, law enforcement seized 539 marijuana plants from Leibenguths at 32 Dollar Drive and 892 marijuana plants from Z.Z. at 34 Dollar Drive. MCM also had products of all types: edibles, lotions, lipbalms, oils, soaps, etc.

According to a man who worked for Z.Z. on March 14, 2011, Z.Z. and Randy Leibenguth were “business partners” until February 2011. In February 2011, Z.Z. and Leibenguth were in a business dispute that ended their relationship.

J.S. advised that he purchased over $300,000 worth of marijuana from Randy Leibenguth. This is corroborated by bank records—the total was $319,579 paid from J.S. d/b/a Natural Medicine of Great Falls to Leibenguth d/b/a Montana Cannabis Ministry. J.S. purchased most of the marijuana from Randy Leibenguth at his residence but also made purchases from Stephanie Leibenguth and Z.Z. Some purchases were at the storefront at 32 Dollar and a couple of purchases were from Z.Z. at OHHI.

According to bank records, MCM supplied marijuana to other marijuana distributors, Sleeping Giant Caregivers and Zoo Mountain. Sleeping Giant paid a total of $732,242 for marijuana to MCM. Zoo Mountain paid $374,270 to MCM from May through October 2010.

On March 14, 2011, the Leibenguths’ bank accounts were seized. Law enforcement seized $29,380.02 from one bank account and $2430.61 from another bank account.

Further bank records analysis showed that Randy and Stephanie Leibenguth d/b/a MCM also purchased marijuana and provided simultaneous payments to Z.Z. d/b/a OHHI in the following transactions:

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that they will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, they do have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the following federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies: the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Customs and Border Protection-Border Patrol; and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These federal agencies were assisted by local High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task forces, the Northwest Drug Task Force, the Kalispell Police Department, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Missoula Police Department, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Great Falls Police Department, the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, the Central Montana Drug Task Force, the Billings Police Department, the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Dillon Police Department, the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, the Park County Sheriff’s Office, the Bozeman Police Department, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, the Belgrade Police Department, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Helena Police Department, the Lewis & Clark Sheriff’s Office, and the Eastern Montana Drug Task Force-Miles City.