Carlson sentenced to 27 months on cocaine charge

COEUR d’ALENE — A federal judge sentenced a once prominent community figure and local school booster to 27 months in prison for possessing cocaine.

Jerald “Jerry” S. Carlson was sentenced Monday at the Federal Courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.

“I am not a bad person,” a tearful Carlson said minutes before federal Judge Justin Quackenbush sentenced him for attempting to possess cocaine with intent to deliver, a felony. The sentence also includes supervised release for four years after prison. If Carlson violates any terms of supervised release, he stands to be re-incarcerated for an additional four years.

Quackenbush said he would make an additional request to the Bureau of Prisons that the defendant participates in a 500-hour prison addiction program. Carlson has already paid $20,000 and relinquished a vehicle in forfeiture. The maximum possible sentence for the crime was five to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine.

The sentencing stems from Carlson’s plea agreement with federal prosecutors in January — a plea that dismissed two other cocaine-related charges.

In 2008 and 2009, Carlson made several drug purchases from Theodore Bruck, a business acquaintance of Carlson’s. Bruck was arrested and became a government informant. In February 2009, after Bruck delivered what turned out to be a kilo of fake cocaine to Carlson, Carlson was arrested. Raids by the police revealed smaller quantities of cocaine in his premises, as well as drug paraphernalia.

Carlson, 48 at the time of his plea, was well known to the community for being a prominent insurance agent, Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce member, and Coeur d’Alene High School booster. Sitting quietly in the courtroom during sentencing were more than 50 friends and family members. Two character witnesses were called, describing Carlson’s addictions to cocaine and alcohol over a 20-year period in which Carlson himself said: “The drugs became my life — I was doing it 24 hours a day with only an hour or two of sleep.”

Carlson said he is sober and attends 20 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week, and he is a sponsor to other addicts.

Carlson’s attorney asked the court for a suspended sentence, but Judge Quackenbush dismissed that possibility within minutes of the two-plus hour sentencing hearing. Prosecutors wanted federal sentencing guidelines to be followed which would have mandated 37 to 46 months of imprisonment. Both suggestions were rejected. The judge acknowledged that a voluminous amount of supporting letters and affidavits had been filed in the record asking for leniency for Carlson and attesting to his good character.

However, Quackenbush noted that Carlson was a college-educated and successful businessman and “with financial success comes responsibility.”

“There must be appropriate punishment,” the judge said, adding there was insufficient evidence that Carlson distributed cocaine for sale. Instead his “offense was triggered by his addiction,” Quackenbush said.

The determination prompted the lighter sentence. Carlson lost his franchise and his agent’s license after being arrested and pleading guilty to the felony drug charge. His son and wife have since gotten additional training to run the business, which Carlson says is in jeopardy of failing while he is in prison.

Carlson apologized to his family and friends and told the court he was sorry for his actions. He reflected on his brother’s death at the age of 36 because of alcoholism and said, after being finally arrested himself: “I am so glad to have this monkey off my back.”

Carlson’s time and place of imprisonment have not yet been determined.