A convicted felon has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to traffic more than 130 pounds of marijuana in Florida.
U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis handed down the sentence to Jack Protzman, 74, of Tavares, who pleaded guilty to the charges on August 16, 2022.
According to court documents, Protzman was involved in a marijuana trafficking operation that included cultivating the drug out of state and transporting it across state lines in a concealed compartment in a specially-outfitted vehicle.
Agents seized over 110 pounds of marijuana, hundreds of THC oil cartridges, and $32,800 in cash from Protzman during the investigation.
Protzman’s operation also included selling THC oil cartridges to an individual who was working with law enforcement, with the defendant claiming to purchase 2,000 cartridges at a time.
Protzman’s previous conviction for conspiracy to import 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana into the United States in 2004 resulted in a 5-year and 11-month prison sentence.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
Protzman was also ordered to forfeit $18,440, and an additional $32,800 was administratively forfeited, which amounts were traceable to proceeds of the offense.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, which aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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