Mark Sigler and Valerie Sigler Arraigned and Plead Guilty in U.S. Federal Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 14, 2012 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula on March 12, 2012 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, MARK STEPHEN SIGLER, age 60, and VALERIE DANIELLE SIGLER, age 38, residents of Bozeman, were arraigned and pled guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Sentencing is set for June 21, 2012. They are currently released on special conditions.
In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Thaggard, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
Big Sky Patient Care was owned and operated by MARK and VALERIE SIGLER.
In late 2010, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives began to investigate the defendant for trafficking in marijuana in violation of federal law.
As part of the investigation, the agents conducting the investigation learned that the the SIGLERS were distributing marijuana at locations in Dillon, Big Sky, and Bozeman under the auspices of Big Sky Patient Care.
On February 19, 2011, a DEA agent observed marijuana packaged for distribution at the Big Sky Patient Care facility in Dillon.
On February 22, 2011, an agent observed numerous individuals coming and going from the Big Sky Patient Care facility in Bozeman. Based on his training and experience, he knew such a pattern of people visiting a place for short periods of time was consistent with drug trafficking activity.
On March 2, 2011, undercover DEA agents visited the Big Sky Patient Care facility in Big Sky. They observed that the facility had marijuana packaged for sale and advertised marijuana for sale.
On March 14, 2011, federal law enforcement agents searched the Big Sky Patient Care facilities in Bozeman, Dillon, and Big Sky. Between the three locations, the agents seized marijuana packaged for sale and discovered approximately 234 marijuana plants under cultivation.
The agents also seized numerous business records maintained by the SIGLERS. The business records confirmed the SIGLERS, in fact, agreed with one another to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 100 kilograms of marijuana and 100 marijuana plants.
They each face possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and could be sentenced to 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine, and four years’ supervised release.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation.