Highlands Ranch medical marijuana grower indicted - The Denver Post

Highlands Ranch medical marijuana grower indicted - The Denver Post

A Highlands Ranch man whose medical marijuana growing business was featured on a Denver television station has been indicted by the federal grand jury in Denver.

Christopher Bartkowicz was indicted late Tuesday for allegedly manufacturing and possessing at least 100 marijuana plants with intent to distribute.

Bartkowicz was also indicted on charges he maintained a drug-involved premises and manufacturing and distribution near a school.

The alleged medical-marijuana-growing operation was in the basement of Bartkowicz's Highlands Ranch home.

Bartkowicz, whose house is a block away from the Sand Creek Elementary School, came to the attention of the Drug Enforcement Administration in February when 9News featured Bartkowicz.

He told the station he serves as a caregiver to a number of medical-marijuana patients and hoped to turn a profit this year in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"I'm definitely living the dream now," Bartkowicz told 9News.

A day after Bartkowicz's story appeared, DEA agents raided the house.

"It's still a violation of federal law," said Jeffrey Sweetin, the DEA's special agent in charge in Denver. "It's not medicine. We're still going to continue to investigate and arrest people."

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver, the search at the Highland Ranch home was done with Bartkowicz's permission.

He later waived his right to being indicted and was charged by information on March 5.

However that changed after Bartkowicz announced at a change of plea hearing on April 16 that he planned to go to trial on the charges.

As a result, said the U.S. Attorney's Office, the matter was taken to the grand jury and the grand jury returned the three-count indictment late Tuesday.