Missy Giove - Avoids Jail Time
- Thread starter aaronjb
- Start date
Damn...who would have thought.
ALBANY — A former world champion mountain biker arrested in Saratoga County in 2009 for helping traffic hundreds of pounds of marijuana across the country will not serve any time in prison.
Melissa "Missy" Giove was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court by Judge Gary L. Sharpe to time served, six months of home detention and five years of supervised release.
Giove, of Norfolk, Va., was arrested in June 2009 after DEA agents watched her and Eric Canori of Wilton unload a trailer that police said had once contained 350 pounds of marijuana.
According to court records, the now 39-year-old was paid $30,000 plus travel expenses to coordinate the transportation of marijuana across the country, some of which was to be distributed upstate.
Giove pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2009 and could have faced up to five years in prison. A prosecution memorandum carried a recommended 24- to 30-month sentence with at least four years of post-release supervision and a $25,000 fine.
With rows of friends and family seated behind her, Giove choked up as she made a tearful apology to the court before her sentencing.
"I am extremely sorry and remorseful," Giove said. "I realize I was a role model to certain people. I'm really sorry for making the wrong decisions. I just want to move forward."
Giove retired from mountain bike racing in 2003 after becoming one of the most decorated female athletes in the sport, winning multiple national and world championships and landing endorsement deals. Giove's attorney, Tim Austin, said head injuries both forced his client to retire and sapped her financially, contributing to her decision to traffic marijuana.
"Missy's involvement in this does not define who she is," Austin said. "She does not need prison to be rehabilitated."
Along with Giove, Canori and Robert Reinfurt, of Utah, were arrested in 2009.
DEA agents searched Canori's home after watching him and Giove begin unloading a trailer from which State Police in Illinois had confiscated 350 pounds of marijuana during a routine traffic stop.
DEA agents then followed the empty trailer to Wilton. Canori and Giove both fled from his residence when they saw the drugs were gone, but were arrested a short time later, police said. Inside Canori's home, DEA agents said they found 40 pounds of marijuana stuffed in a freezer, a money counter, plastic bags, a heat sealer and $1.47 million in cash hidden in a duffel bag and shoe boxes.
The following day, DEA agents raided an apartment used by Canori in Ross, Calif., and said they found $600,000 in cash and marijuana packaging materials.
Reinfurt admitted to helping package and load bags of marijuana into vehicles and trailers which were used to transport the drugs.
Canori and Reinfurt both pleaded guilty to federal charges as well. Reinfurt was sentenced to time served and Canori is to be sentenced in January
Read more: Ex-biking champ avoids prison time - Times Union
Melissa "Missy" Giove was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court by Judge Gary L. Sharpe to time served, six months of home detention and five years of supervised release.
Giove, of Norfolk, Va., was arrested in June 2009 after DEA agents watched her and Eric Canori of Wilton unload a trailer that police said had once contained 350 pounds of marijuana.
According to court records, the now 39-year-old was paid $30,000 plus travel expenses to coordinate the transportation of marijuana across the country, some of which was to be distributed upstate.
Giove pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2009 and could have faced up to five years in prison. A prosecution memorandum carried a recommended 24- to 30-month sentence with at least four years of post-release supervision and a $25,000 fine.
With rows of friends and family seated behind her, Giove choked up as she made a tearful apology to the court before her sentencing.
"I am extremely sorry and remorseful," Giove said. "I realize I was a role model to certain people. I'm really sorry for making the wrong decisions. I just want to move forward."
Giove retired from mountain bike racing in 2003 after becoming one of the most decorated female athletes in the sport, winning multiple national and world championships and landing endorsement deals. Giove's attorney, Tim Austin, said head injuries both forced his client to retire and sapped her financially, contributing to her decision to traffic marijuana.
"Missy's involvement in this does not define who she is," Austin said. "She does not need prison to be rehabilitated."
Along with Giove, Canori and Robert Reinfurt, of Utah, were arrested in 2009.
DEA agents searched Canori's home after watching him and Giove begin unloading a trailer from which State Police in Illinois had confiscated 350 pounds of marijuana during a routine traffic stop.
DEA agents then followed the empty trailer to Wilton. Canori and Giove both fled from his residence when they saw the drugs were gone, but were arrested a short time later, police said. Inside Canori's home, DEA agents said they found 40 pounds of marijuana stuffed in a freezer, a money counter, plastic bags, a heat sealer and $1.47 million in cash hidden in a duffel bag and shoe boxes.
The following day, DEA agents raided an apartment used by Canori in Ross, Calif., and said they found $600,000 in cash and marijuana packaging materials.
Reinfurt admitted to helping package and load bags of marijuana into vehicles and trailers which were used to transport the drugs.
Canori and Reinfurt both pleaded guilty to federal charges as well. Reinfurt was sentenced to time served and Canori is to be sentenced in January
Read more: Ex-biking champ avoids prison time - Times Union
the war on ganj was lost years ago, time to give up officially
It's a plant... you're going to lock human beings in a cage for years for having a PLANT. We're a very sick society, hopefully this crap stops soon.
Very happy for Missy, glad she doesn't have to rot in prison over this bullsh*t
Very happy for Missy, glad she doesn't have to rot in prison over this bullsh*t
Regardless of it being a plant, she broke the law. You wanna play you gotta pay.
Just because a bunch of tight wad diickheads decided that herb is illegal but booze and perscription drugs are legal ?? You can keep those laws to yourself..
apparently not, in this case.
So, you're saying we should obey every law. No matter how unjust?
sidenote:
Giove's attorney, Tim Austin, said head injuries both forced his client to retire and sapped her financially, contributing to her decision to traffic marijuana.
Seems like this is the current go-to defense theory.
Giove's attorney, Tim Austin, said head injuries both forced his client to retire and sapped her financially, contributing to her decision to traffic marijuana.
Seems like this is the current go-to defense theory.
That is a boatload of money involved, it can be used for other things way nastier than weed when its involved with the black market. Smoking or having some is no big deal. However, when that much $ is involved someone should have done some time in the slammer. If one of us monkeys got caught with 1 pound of it we'd be out of luck!
I use the head injury defense with my wife all the time.
Nope, just that you should be ready to deal with and accept the consequences of doing so. If I get a speeding ticket because I was speeding, I was knowlingly breaking the law. I'm not going to get all butt-hurt about it and complain about how unfair life is. If you are just concerned about what kind of crap you can get away with, I have no respect for you. What did missy do to change the laws? Oh wait, she was just looking to illegally make some cash.
She wasn't a black kid slinging a $20 rock. Of course she doesn't deserve to go to jail.
So what if it's a plant? cocaine also comes from a plant. Wish she would have done jail, dont understand how she didnt actully.
Heroin is another nasty one from a plant.
- Getting to those bigger fish mentioned might have been enough?
....And they still want more!
....The difference is cocaine and heroin both have to be refined for distribution.
probably just gave the police information of where all that weed came from
are you kidding! She is uglier than a hat full of a$$ holes. it doesnt help her a bit. might as well be Danny Trejo on the stand
I agree, but for some people the fact that she's some kind of woman and she rides a bike=hotness. I've never seen it.
What an oppressive dyckchiese you are.
People who love the po-po should go live in a police state.
Oh wait. The USA is already a police state. Never mind.
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Ahhhh..these kids nowadays.
I remember back in the day when there were consequences.
I remember back in the day when there were consequences.