No Convictions in 50 lb. North Dakota Pot Bust

DICKINSON, N.D. — A North Dakota jury has acquitted one of two Lithuanian men accused of trying to transport nearly 50 pounds of marijuana from Washington state to Chicago two years ago. Arturas Teras and Donatas Jasiulionis were both arrested in November 2009, when they were stopped for speeding in southwest North Dakota.

Arturas Teras, who was accused of possessing nearly 50 pounds of marijuana, was acquitted after less than an hour of deliberation Thursday afternoon at the Stark County Courthouse.

Although Teras had a medical marijuana license from Washington state, the amount of the drug found in the vehicle exceeded what would be used for personal consumption, prosecutors argued.

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Mary Nordsven, Teras’ attorney, argued that there was not enough evidence to prove charges, even though Teras was driving the vehicle the drugs were discovered in.

“We do know that this is not my client’s vehicle,” she said. “There is no real concrete evidence that ties my client to what was in the hatch of that vehicle.”

Jasiulionis’s fingerprints were found on the bags of marijuana, but Teras’ weren’t. She told jurors there wasn’t enough evidence to prove Teras knew the drugs were in the vehicle he was driving, she added.

Teras stood trial alone, as Jasiulionis had fled to his native Lithuania rather than face charges.

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“He voluntarily deported back to Lithuania before the trial,” said Kelly Armstrong, Jasiulionis’s attorney. “If he ever comes back into the country, they’ll arrest him immediately.”

Tom Henning, Stark County state’s attorney, said an arrest warrant was issued for Jasiulionis, but officials will likely not extradite him.

“Given the fact that it’s not a murder, we’ve only got so much to work with and this is not something I would expend those types of funds on,” Henning said.