Word of Surrender Uttering from Christie's Cannabis Church Camp

Congregation, friends and family have mixed feelings about the surprise plea bargain acceptance.

Share and Roger Christie Courtesy: wxii12.com

(COTTAGE GROVE, Ore.) - An email was just received from Share Christie, wife of Reverend Roger Christie, founding minister of The Hawaii Cannabis Ministries and healer of the Oklevueha NAC branch of Hawaii, announcing that this coming Friday, Roger intends on withdrawing his "not guilty" plea, and entering in a plea of guilty to pending charges of "marijuana trafficking" which has kept him detained in federal corrections for more than 3 years.

Sherryanne Christie, Roger's wife and co-defendant in the case, is also intending to plead guilty, though she said, "I still wanted to go to court, but I see the larger picture of us plea-bargaining," and insinuates that it will be at a later time.

Though specific details of the plea agreement have not been disclosed as of yet, it was indicated by Share that the feds will be taking a condominium that Roger's mother had left him when she died last year while he was in federal custody. Roger had been taking care of his mother during the winter season for several years due to her declining health.

Nothing has been said about whether or not the plea deal will include Roger or his wife spending more time in correctional system, nor what the future holds for their church in Hawaii, and the congregation that has been with the Christie's for years.

"I'm still mad that they took my $900 for my Social Security check in the 1st government raid, which I was going to use on my holes in the roof cottage. The next time that we got raided they took $700 that I saved up for a new bed mattress because I was having so much back problems. That was included in Rogers life savings of $21,000."

The THC Ministries were raided by federal authorities in March of 2010 following a 2 year investigation, but the reality is that the church was not stopped from it's business by the feds until July of 2010.

A total of 2,296 growing cannabis plants, 33 pounds of processed cannabis, more than $21,000 in cash and 9 weapons were seized by officials.

Of the Christies’ co-defendants, all but two have made plea deals with the prosecution. They are: Susanne Lenore Friend; Timothy M. Mann; Richard Bruce Turpen; Donald James Gibson; Roland Gregory Ignacio; Perry Emilio Policchio; John Debaptist Bouey III; Michael B. “Dewey” Shapiro; Victoria C. Fiore; and Jessica R. Walsh, aka Jessica Hackman.

One co-defendant, Aaron George Zeeman, has not pleaded guilty. His trial is scheduled for March 11, 2014. He is also facing a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in Hilo Circuit Court. The final co-defendant, Wesley Mark Sudbury, has been a fugitive for more than three years. A warrant for his arrest was issued in August 2010.

Federal prosecutors had contended that the religious defense Reverend Christie had thus far been standing on "was a ploy to mask a large-scale marijuana-trafficking operation". Now, by entering a guilty plea, it surely will be understood as such, and will very likely cause unnecessary hardship for all sacramental-based religious organizations by feds for years to come.

See also: DEA Holds THC Minister in Custody After Appeal (Jul-21-2010)
Federal Judge Refuses Bail for Roger Christie After Two Years (Aug-10-2012)
Roger Christie Scheduled for Court Monday (Jul-28-2013)
Hawaii Cannabis Minister Granted the Right to Assert Religious Defense in Federal Proceedings (Aug-21-2013)
Another Victory Brings Hope to Rev. Roger & Share Christie of THC Ministry (Sep-23-2013)

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Eve Lentz October 4, 2013 3:48 pm (Pacific time)

How awful, this WAR ON DRUGS is! Our Government should be ashamed of what it is doing to Roger and all other "Spiritual", loving people.. Cannabis has a "Spirit", and it is healing and compassionate! I pray that Roger and friends find a way out of this awful atrocity! Joy, thanks for putting this out! Great job!

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