No Jail Time For Bismarck Skate Shop Owner

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The owner and manager of a skate shop in Bismarck will not see jail time for operating a business where synthetic drugs were sold.

A judge on Tuesday sentenced Discontent owner Thomas Teply, of Moorhead, Minnesota, to four years of supervised probation and a $25,000 fine. Manager Steven Johnson, of Bismarck, got two years of supervised probation.

A jury in July convicted the two men of various counts related to the sale and possession of synthetic drugs and paraphernalia. Both had testified in their own defense, saying they did not knowingly sell controlled substances.

Bismarck police busted the business in June 2012. Authorities also initially charged eight store clerks but dropped the charges after the clerks agreed to cooperate with investigators.