Colo. pot grower gets 5 years in federal prison

DENVER – A suburban Denver pot grower who tried unsuccessfully to set up a federal-state showdown on medical marijuana has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.

The Denver Post reports that Christopher Bartkowicz was sentenced Friday after his plea bargain was accepted by a judge.

Bartkowicz pleaded guilty to three drug charges after federal drug agents raided his Highlands Ranch home last February and seized hundreds of pot plants growing in his basement.

The raid came after a Denver TV station promoted a story in which he bragged about how much money he would make growing pot under Colorado medical marijuana rules.

If he had gone to trial, Bartkowicz could have faced a life term because of a previous drug conviction.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com