A Hilo marijuana minister who has been in federal custody since his ministry was raided more than four years ago was released from jail to a halfway house in Honolulu. ADVERTISING A Hilo marijuana minister who has been in federal
A Hilo marijuana minister who has been in federal custody since his ministry was raided more than four years ago was released from jail to a halfway house in Honolulu.
Roger Christie was released from the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu on Wednesday, according to his wife, Share Christie. He is still considered a federal inmate, and the Bureau of Prisons website lists his release date as Nov. 14.
Christie was sentenced in April by U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi to five years in prison for one count of conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess marijuana plants.
He received credit for time already served in jail.
The 65-year-old Christie is the founder of The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry — also known as THC Ministry — in downtown Hilo. The Kamehameha Avenue ministry was raided July 8, 2010, and 284 marijuana plants were confiscated.
Christie was arrested, along with 13 others, including Sherryanne “Share” St. Cyr, who later married Christie.
The others were released on bail, but Christie was deemed “a danger to the community” by Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang and denied bail, despite repeated requests. He had been incarcerated since.
Prosecutors described Christie’s ministry as a front for a drug distribution ring, while Christie said his religion is based on helping people heal through the “sacrament” of medical marijuana.
The Christies pleaded guilty after Kobayashi ruled they could not use the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a defense.
As part of his sentence, Christie also was put on four years supervised release. Kobayashi said she would have preferred to sentence him to only a year supervised release, but federal sentencing guidelines didn’t allow that.
Share Christie was sentenced in April to 27 months in prison but remains free while she appeals her sentence.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
