Jim Carlson Gets 17 Years In Prison; Attorneys React

MINNEAPOLIS - Jim Carlson has fought against the city for years -- defending his synthetic drug shop in Duluth -- and his sentencing Thursday was no different.After being in jail for 10 months, Carlson got his sentence Thursday to 17 years."Not only did the government never tell Mr. Carlson this was illegal, they told him the exact opposite," said Randall Tigue, Carlson's attorney.Carlson, whose Last Place On Earth shop is now closed for good, will have to serve a total of 17.5 years in federal prison, pay a $25,000 fine, and once he's done with his prison sentence, he'll have a three-year supervised release.The prosecution is happy with Carlson's sentencing, believing justice was served."This significant sentence should deliver a clear message to anyone in Minnesota who continues to sell synthetic drugs; that they face serious criminal consequences," said Surya Saxena, Assistant U.S. Attorney.Carlson's attorney, Randall Tigue, had a different opinion about the sentence."This prosecution is a far greater threat to America than anything Jim Carlson ever did," said Tigue.Tigue said Federal Judge David Doty didn't really give Carlson a chance to defend himself.In court Thursday, Carlson said he felt the government is attacking him because he doesn't see other head shop owners being treated like he is."Given what Judge Doty has done to Mr. Carlson, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised," said Tigue.During Thursday's sentencing hearing, the main issue revolved around whether the drugs Carlson was selling were substantially similar to THC. The court found they were.However, Tigue claims Carlson was never told by any authorities that the drugs were illegal until he was detained."If you really wanna deter somebody from doing this, tell them it's illegal before you prosecute them," said Tigue.The prosecution argues these synthetic drugs have always been illegal."There simply are no loopholes that authorize the distribution of designer drugs that mimic controlled substances," said Saxena.Carlson will have 14 days to appeal.  Tigue said they plan on appealing.His ex-girlfriend, Lava Haugen, has been sentenced to 60 months (5 years) in prison.