Markwart now in jail awaiting sentencing

Tyler Markwart, former WSU student who was found guilty Dec. 13 of charges of selling and growing marijuana in Pullman, was taken into custody after the jury delivered its verdict on all five counts. Markwart has been scheduled for sentencing Jan. 13.

The court appointed Steve Martonick, county defense attorney, to be on standby in the event Markwart fails to hire an attorney to represent him at sentencing.

Markwart’s sentence on the five felony convictions will include a determination under the state’s standard range provisions with a maximum and a minimum. In addition to the five felony marijuana convictions, the jury also found Markwart guilty of having guns present while committing one of the felonies. Two guns were found at his apartment bedroom by drug task force agents during a warrant search of the apartment April 19.

Under state law, the gun enhancement finding adds 18 months to the sentencing range.