Missoula businessman Jason Washington, convicted recently of federal drug crimes, has been ordered to appear in Ravalli County District Court to face more felony drug charges.

Deputy Ravalli County Attorney Thorin Geist released the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:

On May 7, 2013, the Ravalli County Attorney’s Office filed charges against Jason Dominic Washington for criminal distribution of marijuana, and for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Both charges arise from Washington’s alleged illegal operation of a medical marijuana dispensary in Ravalli County in late 2011. Washington was recently sentenced in U.S. District Court, District of Missoula, on federal drug charges, clearing the way for the State to initiate separate proceedings.  Washington will be returned to federal authorities to serve his federal sentence after the conclusion of the case in Ravalli County. Washington is set to make an initial appearance before the Hon. James A. Haynes on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Geist said Ravalli County officials have been waiting for Johnson's federal drug trial to be resolved before filing their own charges.

"Now that he's been sentenced, Ravalli County has filed charges including criminal distribution of dangerous drugs, in this case, marijuana," Geist said. "In addition, Washington has been charged with accountability for criminal possession with intent to distribute, also marijuana."

Geist said Washington operated a business in Ravalli County.

"He had a medical marijuana dispensary that he was allegedly operating illegally," Geist said. "He's on loan to us from the Bureau of Federal Prisons, and after hearing the charges in Hamilton, he will serve his time in federal prison. If the Ravalli County court makes the sentence consecutive, he would them come back to Montana to serve his time here."

Washington is a former quarterback for the Montana Grizzly football team, and operated several businesses in Missoula after leaving the university.

Deputy Missoula County Attorney Thorin Geist

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