SJ man gets 30 days for selling two grams of pot

A San Juan Island man who sold two grams of marijuana to an informant during an undercover sting will serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to a felony drug-related offense.

On July 25, Marc Joseph Gordon Hemker, 20, pleaded guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to one count of delivery of a controlled-substance -- marijuana, a Class C felony, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in fines and fees.

Hemker, who had no prior felony convictions, qualified for sentencing as a first-time offender. He will be allowed to serve 30 days on work crew in lieu of jail, though at his own expense.

Delivery of a controlled substance carries maximum penalties of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both; however, the standard range set by the state is 0-6 months in jail.

According to court documents, the informant, who had bought small amounts of marijuana from others at Hemker’s home on previous occasions, volunteered to help local officers make an arrest this past December by making another purchase while wearing a recording device. Initially, Hemker was charged with selling marijuana on two separate occasions for a combined total of 5.2 grams, however, the second count was dropped.

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