Paulsen Cocaine Sentence Cut

Wed., Sept. 30, 1998

By Bill Morlin billm@spokesman.com

Spokane cocaine kingpin Clarence “Cip” Paulsen III, who was sentenced to 168 months in prison in 1995, has had his term reduced by 33 months.

The reduction to 135 months was made earlier this month by U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle.

Paulsen was the primary target of “Operation Doughboy,” a 1994 investigation of cocaine trafficking that resulted in 37 arrests and convictions.

Paulsen pleaded guilty in November 1994 to conspiracy to distribute between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine.

After his arrest, Paulsen credited the FBI with forcing him to end a 20-year cocaine binge. But since being sentenced, he has filed lawsuits and appeals, alleging he was unfairly treated by the FBI and sentencing judge.

His sentence was upheld in 1996 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Earlier this year, Paulsen’s attorney filed a motion for a sentence reduction after a state court set aside a reckless driving conviction.

That conviction was used in calculating Paulsen’s sentencing range of 168 to 210 months at his initial sentencing on Feb. 23, 1995.

Without the reckless driving conviction, Paulsen faced a sentencing range of 135 to 168 months for his drug convictions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice recommended 144 months and Paulsen’s attorney asked for a term below the minimum of 135 months.

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