News

Husband Of Trulieve CEO Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Corruption

Prosecutors had asked for eight years due to the seriousness of the charges

After being convicted in August on corruption charges, John “JT” Burnette was sentenced to three years in federal prison and fined $1.25 million last week, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

The Florida businessman, who is married to Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, was convicted of conducting a longtime bribery scheme with former Mayor and City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his business partner, Paige Carter-Smith. Additionally, prosecutors said Burnette used his “power and wealth to corrupt the political process.” During the investigation, Burnette told undercover agents that he had influenced Florida House Rep. Halsey Beshears (R) to insert language into Florida‘s medical cannabis bill containing a controversial barrier to entry “that would benefit both Burnette and the Beshears family,” federal prosecutors said.

That barrier to entry was a rule requiring nurseries to be in business for 30 years before they could apply for a medical cannabis license, which locked out many Black-owned and other small nurseries from participating in Florida’s lucrative medical cannabis market.

Prosecutors had asked for eight years due to the seriousness of the charges, according to the report.

To Read The Rest Of This Article On Ganjaprenuer, Click Here

Stay up-to-date!

Get all the news and info straight into your inbox that you need to help grow your business.

Marijuana Retail Report, is a national daily online trade publication serving retailers of marijuana products and accessories. News and information are geared strictly to select retail channels, with distribution limited to licensed collectives, recreational retailers, accessories retailers, and wholesalers.

Newsletter

Stay informed with the most up-to-date industry news to help you grow your business: subscribe to our newsletter below!


To Top