DETROIT – The head of a drug enforcement team in southeastern Michigan says he's disappointed with the light sentence given to a Lenawee County farmer who was growing more than 8,000 marijuana plants.
Detective Lt. Robert Sinclair says it's not "logical or reasonable" to put Edwin Schmieding on probation when he was growing marijuana for profit. He says the 2011 bust was one of the largest in the state.
Schmieding avoided prison Tuesday and was placed on supervised release for 2 years. Detroit federal Judge Bernard Friedman noted Schmieding's history of helping others.
Sinclair heads a police task force in Lenawee and Hillsdale counties. The case started with the task force before federal agents took over. An expert said the marijuana's quality was not high, but Sinclair says that's not important.
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