An Orcas Island man who ended up on the wrong side of the law after trying to give a pot plant to a neighbor as a gift was sentenced to 20 days in jail for a drug-related felony offense.

On Oct. 22, Timothy Alan Bonner, 52, pleaded guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to one count of possession of more than 40 grams of marijuana, a Class C felony. Bonner, who, as a first-time felony offender, qualified for sentencing below state standards, was ordered to serve a total of 20 days in jail and to pay $1,950 in fines and fees.

Under the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Don Eaton, Bonner will be allowed to perform 160 hours of community service, or 20 days on work crew, in lieu of jail. He was ordered to serve two years of probation as well.

Arrested in mid-June, Bonner was charged at that time with a different Class C felony, manufacture of a controlled substance. According to court documents, 54 marijuana plants of various age, condition and size, some measuring 4-6 feet tall, were seized after deputies searched a green house at Bonner’s home in a Rosario Point neighborhood.

He was confronted by officers and later taken into custody following a complaint by a neighbor who reportedly took exception to Bonner offering a dried pot plant as a gift while introducing himself.

Shortly before his arrest, Bonner reportedly told officers that he had indeed been the one passing out pot in the neighborhood and that it was something that he does for his neighbors every year. Initially, he claimed there were no plants or marijuana on the property, and that he personally does not use it.

He later admitted there were plants on the property and then, according to court documents, allowed the greenhouse to be searched.

A Class C felony, possession of more than 40 grams of marijuana carries maximum penalties of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both; however, the standard range of sentencing set by the state is 0-6 months in jail.