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Title: Disabled Vet Faces Life In Prison for Treating PTSD with Pot
Source:
Prison Planet
URL Source: http://www.prisonplanet.com/disable ... or-treating-ptsd-with-pot.html
Published: Jul 1, 2015
Author: Adan Salazar
Post Date: 2015-07-01 19:49:14 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 10601
Comments: 73
A marine corps veteran faces life in prison for cultivating marijuana plants while he lived in Oklahoma, plants which he relied on to treat severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Last year, police raided the home of 33-year-old Kristoffer Lewandowski, a military father of three who was honorably discharged for medical reasons after serving multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kristoffer’s wife Whitney reveals her husband, fearing liver damage from consuming a massive amount of pharmaceutical drugs, was successfully transitioning to marijuana as a preferred treatment. “He was just using it… He couldn’t get any, and, of course, we’re a military family, we’re very poor, we couldn’t afford to buy it anyway,” Kristoffer’s wife, Whitney told TruthInMedia.com. “So he was just growing it for himself. He was on his way out of the military and just wanted to see if it would help with [his mental health issues].” “He was taking 13 pills a day, and it was just killing his liver,” she said. “He was having all these issues with his body and he just wanted to try something more natural to just see if he could do without that many pills a day,” Whitney said, adding the treatments were “absolutely effective.” Police were summoned to Lewandowski’s Geronimo residence in June 2014 after neighbors reported him suffering a PTSD episode. Amid the emotional breakdown, Whitney brought their three children to the neighbor’s house in attempts to “diffuse the situation.” Rather than provide the former soldier immediate medical attention, police proceeded to conduct a search of Lewandowski’s home for drugs, locating six marijuana plants. “The kind of help he got was being tossed in jail,” Whitney expressed. Police charged Kristoffer with felony marijuana cultivation, possession of drug paraphernalia and domestic violence, a charge which Whitney admits to have filed against her husband at the behest of officers. The former felony charge carries a posssible fine of $25,000 and anywhere from 20 years to life in prison, according to Oklahoma statutes. Whitney says police at the time twisted her arm into pressing charges against her husband, threatening her with felony charges, as well as confiscation of their children by Child Protective Services. “They’re trying to use me as a victim and to make it look worse on his case,” Whitney insists. “My husband has absolutely never laid his hands on me ever. He is not an abusive man, ever… quite the opposite. He is extremely doting.” Later that year in October, after posting a $20,000 bail, Lewandowski decided it was time to move his family back to California, where he legally obtained a medical marijuana prescription. Last month on June 16, undercover police nabbed Kristoffer as he picked his children up from pre-school in a dramatic, guns-drawn arrest after he failed to appear at a court hearing. “To be picked up like that, we’re all blown away,” Whitney described. “Especially in a pre-school parking lot where all my kids’ friends are, their parents are. Everyone’s witnessing this, and it was horrifying.” TruthInMedia.com reports, “Kristoffer Lewandowski currently remains in police custody in California awaiting extradition to Oklahoma where he will face his charges.” A Change.org petition signed by over 12 thousand people asks for Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin to pardon Kristoffer. Whitney has also set up a GoFundMe page to raise donations for legal fees, as well as a Facebook page to raise awareness. 
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 25.
#1. To: Deckard (#0)
That's one way to put it. Another way would be that jumped bail, fled to California, and failed to appear in Oklahoma court.
I think if I were his lawyer I would be taking a close look at the extradition paperwork. I have a hard time believing Ca would go along with having out of state cops come in to arrest one of their citizens over a minor pot bust. Especially a combat vet with PTSD. If the paperwork was "fudged" in any way,he's going to walk. Maybe even sue Oklahoma for false arrest.
All it takes to qualify for a "fugitive from justice" is that the alledged crime the fugitive is wanted for in another state, is a crime in the state he's found in. It's up to the issuing warrant DA's office to make the choice and pay to extradite. The clock starts ticking when the warrant issuing agency is notified that the alledged shitbird has been caught.
In significant part, the Lewandowski excuse making sounds like a cock and bull half story. He may have gotten bail and made his required contact with the bail bondsman, but it would appear he did not stay in contact with the court and did not have permission to move to California, aka cross state lines while fleeing the jurisdiction. He would have been required to provide the court upon any change of address. He may not have known about the court date because he had fled the jurisdiction. The court only papers the last address he had on record with the court. The fault for not receiving the notice would appear to lie with Lewandowski. When you are out on bail, you flee the jurisdiction and do not appear for a court date, bad things happen, especially when the Federal marshals are the ones looking for you. Left out of the PrisonPlanet story is the part about Lewandowski being busted while on active duty with the Marines. He is 6'7", 276 lbs, and a mentally unstable marine on the lam. They came with enough force that they did not have to put him in the hospital or the grave. It would appear he was arrested for allegedly chasing his wife with a knife, domestic assault in the presence of a child; and growing pot. [excerpt] Laguna Beach June 18, 2015…… Two more armed Marshals, parked on the street posing as landscapers, entered the scene. Finally, a police cruiser (the only marked vehicle or officers) arrived as well. Luckily no one — not the children, parents and teachers present, including the Lewandowskis, were shot, and Kris peacefully exited the car and surrendered — to what the family wasn’t yet sure. [...] At the time of his arrest on June 18, on a Fugitive Warrant issued by the same Judge Tayloe of Oklahoma, for $100,000 bail, Kris was just adjusting to his second try on an additional (to his PTSD meds) round of very strong psych meds. One does not have to be a doctor to understand how dangerous this is to Kris. If he is kept in jail, or worse taken back to Oklahoma, how will he ever get help. The answer to that question is obvious… he won’t. Update: June 23, 2015 Whitney Lewandowski was able to reach the Court and was told that the court date Kris failed to appear for was on May 28th. This is the first they have heard about an actual date that was missed. This date was also during the time Kris was admitted to the VA psychiatric ward in Long Beach, CA. In significant part, the Lewandowski excuse making sounds like a cock and bull story. He may have gotten bail and made his required contact with the bail bondsman, but it would appear he did not stay in contact with the court and did not have permission to move to California, aka cross state lines while fleeing the jurisdiction. He would have been required to provide the court upon any change of address. He may not have known about the court date because he had fled the jurisdiction. The court only papers the last address he had on record with the court. The fault for not receiving the notice would appear to lie with Lewandowski. When you are out on bail, you flee the jurisdiction and do not appear for a court date, bad things happen, especially when the Federal marshals are the ones looking for you. Left out of the PrisonPlanet story is the part about Lewandowski being busted while on active duty with the Marines. He is 6'7", 276 lbs, and a mentally unstable marine on the lam. They came with enough force that they did not have tyo put him in the hospital or the grave. http://www.kswo.com/story/25674226/domestic-disturbance-turns-into-pot-bust KSWO, ABC 7 News GERONIMO, Okla._What started out as a call on a domestic disturbance complaint for Comanche County Sheriff's deputies, turned into a major pot bust in the county. Deputies responded to a home on Arapaho Street in Geronimo around 10:00 p.m. Sunday after 32-year-old Kristoffer Lewandowski was seen chasing his wife with a knife. After barricading himself in his home, he ultimately surrendered. That's when nine marijuana plants were found growing on the property. "This is a rare deal. Usually you just go out to a domestic and you just take care of the situation," explained Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley. Sheriff Stradley said it was clear from the get-go that Sunday night's call was anything but typical. "The individual supposedly chased his wife with a knife and she went next door to a neighbor. They went to the door, he was inside the house, he first wouldn't come out. We thought he had a gun," said Stradley. Once Lewandowski surrendered and came out of this house, that's when sheriff's deputies went inside. All it took was one look around the home for officers to realize they were dealing with a more serious situation. “When we get there and we find out we have marijuana there that's being grown, it seems to get worse. And then with children present this is a bad situation gone worse for the whole entire family," explained Sheriff Stradley. The entire ordeal was witnessed by Lewandowski's two young children. Both were taken into DHS custody before being released to their mother. In all, nine marijuana plants were found, along with growing equipment and two guns. Lewandowski now faces charges of cultivating marijuana, paraphernalia and domestic assault in the presence of a child. It's a situation that Sheriff Stradley says has no winners. "Probably one of the things that bothers me is that you've got kids in the house and you're growing drugs in there. Kids are precious. If you don't have enough for yourself, you should have enough for your kids to not have it around them. This was a situation that was bad…that went from bad to worse," said Sheriff Stradley. Lewandowski is currently enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He sits in the Comanche County Detention Center to await further investigation by military police. Judge Tayloe took office in April 2014.
There are no replies to Comment # 25. End Trace Mode for Comment # 25.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest"Later that year in October, after posting a $20,000 bail, Lewandowski decided it was time to move his family back to California"
#4. To: misterwhite (#1)
Another way would be that jumped bail, fled to California, and failed to appear in Oklahoma court.
#6. To: sneakypete (#4)
I think if I were his lawyer I would be taking a close look at the extradition paperwork. I have a hard time believing Ca would go along with having out of state cops come in to arrest one of their citizens over a minor pot bust. Especially a combat vet with PTSD
#25. To: GrandIsland, sneakypete, Deckard, misterwhite (#6)
All it takes to qualify for a "fugitive from justice" is that the alledged crime the fugitive is wanted for in another state, is a crime in the state he's found in.
update: June 22, 2015, Monday, Orange Co. Calif.
Judge approves extradition of Marine Kristoffer Lewandowski to possible life in prison in Oklahoma for less than an ounce — 1 ounce — of immature half dead cannabis plants. 6/18, Federal Marshals descended on his sons’ Laguna Beach preschool, guns drawn; Kris awaits imminent removal from his home state of California to Oklahoma, which must collect him within 30 days. Bail is set at $100,000, in Oklahoma.
Kristoffer Lewandowski, a multiple tour Iraq War Veteran, honorably discharged, 100% service-related disabled Marine, pulled into his son’s preschool, in a church in Aliso Viejo, California. A conglomerate of unmarked random SUVs, trucks & cars followed fast; nine armed men, guns drawn, ran in, swarming around the family’s car as Whitney, Kris’s wife, exited to take their two sons, ages 2 & 4, to Laguna Parent Participation Preschool. Only after she protested being dragged away, panicking to get to her kids, did the man holding her show her a badge identifying him as a Federal Marshal.
It is now known that the US Marshals followed them at least for the entire morning before making the dramatic arrest at the preschool with guns drawn, though they knew exactly where the Lewandowski family was since Kris had been in touch, as required, with the bail bondsman once per week. They observed Kris leave the home to ride his bike to college; observed Whitney leave the home with their 2 young sons to pick Kris up and sit in the college parking lot for 10 minutes talking over his class he was so excited about. The US Marshals then followed the family to breakfast, then to the church preschool. Domestic disturbance turns into pot bust
Posted: Jun 02, 2014 6:29 PM CDT
Updated: Jun 09, 2014 01:36 PM
Replies to Comment # 25.
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