Madison, Wis. - John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Christopher Christmas, 25, of Idaho, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to four years’ probation and a $3,000 fine for conspiring with others to import and distribute marijuana in the Madison area, primarily in and around the UW-Madison campus. Christmas appeared before Judge Conley on April 26, waived indictment, and pleaded guilty to an information containing this charge.
Christmas and seven other codefendants, all college students, arranged the purchase, transportation and distribution of approximately 18 loads of marijuana, ranging in quantity from five to 50 pounds, from California and Colorado to Madison from September 2012 to February 2015. Drivers were sent to the West Coast with tens of thousands of dollars to make contact with a supplier, and would return with up to 50 pounds of marijuana.
Christmas was one of the principal drivers tasked with driving the money to California and bringing back marijuana on a number of occasions in return for thousands of dollars in compensation or a portion of the load. The marijuana loads were divided among the “investors” who had provided money for the purchase of the supply, and they then sold the marijuana in Madison for a substantial profit.
His seven fellow conspirators were previously sentenced:
Haris Riza, 22, Madison, sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison;
Parvis Samadzada, 22, Madison, sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison;
Joseph Ramsey, 21, Madison, sentenced to three years’ probation
Kevin Ha, 22, Madison, sentenced to three years’ probation
Amadou Camara, 23, Sun Prairie, Wis., sentenced to 30 months in federal prison;
Yotam Israeli, 23, Madison, sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison; and
Enis Gashi, 22, Madison, sentenced to three years in federal prison.
The charge against Christopher Christmas was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation; and Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.