Shawn Sheikhan expected to be sentenced to at least five years in prison for running illegal cannabis distributorship

Controversial poker pro Shawn Sheikhan, famous for his televised WSOP run-in with Mike Matusow, is expected to be jailed for at least five years and fined $5million for his role in running an illegal cannabis distributorship.

Infamous poker trash talker Sean Sheikhan will be sentenced in April for running an illegal cannabis distributorship in southern California. Sheikhan is expected to be sentenced to at least five years in prison. https://t.co/gQ8b5kj4c9

— Poker.org (@pokerorg) February 27, 2023

The 54-year-old Iranian-born poker player was arrested after police raided his distribution and dispensary business, known as “Cannaland”.

Police seized 3000lbs of marijuana, with a street value estimated at $6million, as well as five firearms. Separate searches of Sheikhan’s business and private properties saw another 100lbs of marijuana and $109,000 cash seized.

Federal agents claimed that Shawn Sheikhan and business partner Sabrianna Williams “personally coordinated and facilitated the procurement of replacement firearms for the business’s armed security guards.”

Having pled guilty last June, Sheikhan will be sentenced this April after reaching a plea deal with federal authorities. He is facing at least 5 years in prison, with a possible 40 years maximum, with Williams facing 20 years imprisonment.

It won’t be the first time Sheikhan has spent time in prison, sentenced to nine months back in 1995 for misdemeanor sexual battery on a child under 18 years of age, later narrowly avoiding deportation.

A regular on televised cash game “Poker after Dark”, Shawn Sheikhan has over $1.5million in live tournament cashes to his name, his best score of $600,000 coming in the 2005 WSOP Main Event, which saw him on the end of a tongue-lashing from Mike “The Mouth” Matusow.

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Mark Patrickson

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Mark Patrickson is a poker journalist with over ten years of experience. He writes for VIP-Grinders.com, sharing his deep knowledge of poker. He creates interesting content about poker strategy, trends, and news for poker fans worldwide. [more]