Lucas Wyman Mulvaugh Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula on September 13, 2012, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, LUCAS WYMAN MULVAUGH, a 35-year-old resident of Belgrade, pled guilty to conspiracy to maintain drug-involved premises. Sentencing has been set for January 3, 2013. He is currently released on special conditions.

In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

From approximately March 2009 until March 14, 2011, Randy Leibenguth, Stephanie Leibenguth, and MULVAUGH manufactured and distributed marijuana in the Bozeman/Belgrade area. The Leibenguths owned and operated Montana Cannabis Ministry/Montanans Cultivating Medicine (MCM). MULVAUGH owned and operated Outlaw Hill Health Institute (OHHI).

On March 14, 2011, law enforcement seized 539 marijuana plants from the Leibenguths at the MCM location and 892 marijuana plants from MULVAUGH at the OHHI location.

According to a man who worked for MULVAUGH on March 14, 2011, MULVAUGH and Randy Leibenguth were “business partners” until February 2011. In February 2011, MULVAUGH and Leibenguth were in a business dispute that ended their relationship.

According to X.X., X.X. purchased over $300,000 worth of marijuana from Randy Leibenguth. This was corroborated by bank records. X.X. purchased most of the marijuana from Randy Leibenguth, but also made purchases from Stephanie Leibenguth and MULVAUGH. Some purchases were at the storefront at the MCM location and a couple of purchases were from MULVAUGH at the OHHI location.

Testimony and documents generated by the conspiracy would have shown that the conspiracy involved the manufacture of at least 1,000 marijuana plants and at least 100 kilograms of a substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana during the above time frame.

Randy Leibenguth and Stephanie Leibenguth pled guilty to federal charges and are awaiting sentencing.

MULVAUGH faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, and the Laurel Police Department.