Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — A 19-year-old New Jersey man who plead guilty to growing marijuana and stealing ski equiptment was sentenced in Routt County District Court on Tuesday.

Wade Zachary Gibson wasgiven two years of supervised probation, ordered to pay $2,300 in restitution, perform 100 hours of community service and serve 12 days in jail.

During his sentencing, Gibson, of Montvale, N.J., told District Judge Paul McLimans he was sorry for what he did and that he has learned his lesson.

"What I did was wrong," he said. "I'm sorry for doing it. I've learned a valuable lesson from this ordeal."

Gibson was arrested in Nov--ember after Steamboat Springs police officers found a 5-inch marijuana plant growing in Gibson's Colorado Mountain College dorm room.

While facing the felony cultivation of marijuana charges, Gibson was arrested in January on suspicion of stealing more than $2,000 worth of ski and snowboarding equipment from the One Stop Ski Shop where he was working.

Gibson pleaded guilty to the cultivation of marijuana, a Class 4 felony, misdemeanor possession of 1 to 8 ounces of marijuana, and misdemeanor theft, the charges on which he was sentenced Tuesday.

In addition to the two years of supervised probation, McLimans granted Gibson a two-year deferred judgment, which means if Gibson complies with the court's orders and the terms of his probation, the felony will not appear on a permanent record.

The misdemeanor theft conviction will appear on Gibson's record, McLimans said.

In addition to the $2,300 Gibson was ordered to pay in restitution, he also was ordered to pay more than $3,000 in court costs.

Gibson's attorney, Larry Combs, explained to McLimans that Gibson had come to Steam--boat Springs to attend college, but fell into a "deep, deep pit" while here.

McLimans told Gibson he hoped he has learned from his "very expensive lesson," and that he has the opportunity to move past what he did in Routt County and make a brighter future.

"Mr. Gibson, you need to make sure you walk the straight and narrow," McLimans said. "You did something incredibly stupid, but you're in a position to avoid a felony conviction. That would be monumental for you -- the difference between a misdemeanor and felony conviction."