Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) quietly pursued financial interests in the legal marijuana industry years before her election to Congress, while simultaneously representing a criminal defendant who would ultimately receive a life sentence for murder in a drug-related shooting, according to records and court documents revealed Monday.
Crockett held a 20 percent ownership stake and served as chief operations officer of Black Diamond Investments, a limited liability company that sought to establish medical marijuana dispensaries in Ohio in 2018.
Documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show the congresswoman was named as the primary contact on the company’s application filing.
During the same period that the Ohio dispensary bid was under consideration, Crockett appeared as defense counsel in Bowie County court representing Tyvon Montrel Gullatt.
The defendant faced charges stemming from a fatal shooting that prosecutors characterized as marijuana-related violence.
At an April 10, 2018 bond hearing, Crockett argued for reduced bail on behalf of her client.
Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp described the incident to the judge in stark terms during the proceeding.
“This is a ‘drug deal gone bad,’ that’s what it is,” Crisp told the court, according to a report from Texarkana Today.
The Ohio medical marijuana dispensary application submitted by Black Diamond Investments spanned 148 pages and identified Crockett as a principal with responsibility for overseeing daily operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
The comprehensive filing included detailed information about security protocols, staffing plans and financial projections as the company pursued licensure under Ohio’s strictly regulated medical cannabis program.
The application documents list “Jasmine Crockett” as the contact person and specify ownership percentages for all stakeholders involved in the venture, according to records reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.
The criminal case Crockett was handling proceeded to trial several months after the bond hearing.
A Bowie County jury deliberated on evidence related to the February 10, 2018 shooting death of Carlos Clark.
Jurors found Gullatt guilty of murder in connection with Clark’s death.
The jury assessed the maximum penalty available under Texas law.
The Daily Caller reported that the December 2018 punishment hearing resulted in Gullatt receiving a life sentence in prison.
The court also imposed a $10,000 fine as part of the sentence, according to local news coverage of the proceedings.
Court reporting from multiple sources confirms the life term was handed down following the conviction.
The case concluded Crockett’s involvement as defense attorney for the convicted murderer.
Since winning election to Congress, Crockett has publicly supported federal legislative initiatives aimed at reforming marijuana laws.
Her current policy positions advocate for reducing or eliminating criminal penalties associated with cannabis.
The Texas congresswoman appears as a cosponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, commonly known as the MORE Act.
The legislation was introduced in August and represents one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform proposals considered by Congress.
The MORE Act would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances, effectively decriminalizing cannabis at the national level.
The bill would also eliminate existing criminal penalties associated with marijuana under federal law.
