Whitefish man pleads guilty to pot crimes

MISSOULA — Two men charged with being a part of a large medical marijuana operation allegedly run by former University of Montana quarterback Jason Washington have pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.

Chris Cronshaw and Greg Zuckert, 45, of Whitefish, each pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

Prosecutors said federal agents recovered 1,001 marijuana plants from a greenhouse on Highway 10 West in Missoula last year that they said could produce up to 30 pounds of marijuana per month.

Federal agents said Washington’s Big Sky Health supplied marijuana to 340 registered cardholders, but also participated in the sale of marijuana between medical marijuana providers and had the drug shipped in from Washington state and California.

The raid on Big Sky Health was one of several at Montana medical marijuana operations last year that chilled a once-booming medical marijuana industry in the state.

Prosecutors said Cronshaw was the main grower at Washington’s Missoula greenhouse and that Washington paid Zuckert $3,000 a month to inspect the plants.

Washington, who played five games at Montana in 2005 before being injured, has pleaded not guilty. He was dismissed from the team in 2007 for unspecified reasons.

His trial has been delayed until later this year.