LIFE IN PRISON FOR CANNABIS
In December 1989, Richard DeLisi was sentenced to a total of 98 years in prison for trafficking cannabis as part of a RICO case.

THE OFFENSE
In 1988, Richard was caught as part of a reverse-sting/entrapment operation for trafficking cannabis into the State of Florida. Richard and his brother Theodore were both charged for cannabis trafficking - his brother served 24 years in total and was released in 2013.

This case was based on intelligence from an informant for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who was cooperating due to impending firearms and cocaine charges.

REVERSE-STING/ENTRAPMENT
A reverse-sting is an operation in which the police, through covert means, target individuals who have or are likely to commit a particular type of crime. The authorities then create or facilitate the very offense of which the defendant is convicted, in this case meaning the crime was never actually committed. All that was required to create the conspiracy charge was a recorded agreement from Richard to commit the crime. It is a controversial police tactic and is deemed unlawful in many countries around the world.