MAX’S STORY

Hello,

My name is David Max Leidermann. I am 50 years old, and you can call me Max. On April 12, 2023, I was arrested (for the first time in my life) by Homeland Security agents at my local Starbucks in Santa Monica. I was denied bond because I have a passport and have traveled internationally, which the court interpreted as a “flight risk.” I was then extradited to Nebraska, a state I had never previously visited, where I remain incarcerated awaiting trial on federal charges of conspiracy to traffic marijuana.

Although I’ve lived in Los Angeles my entire adult life, federal law still treats marijuana as a Schedule I substance, and Nebraska has chosen to pursue these federal laws aggressively. My case began with an individual in Nebraska whom I have never met or spoken to. Through a chain of association and under broad conspiracy laws, combined with statements made by cooperating defendants, I have been labeled responsible.

I know it sounds ridiculous that in 2025 you can still be arrested for the devil’s lettuce, but unfortunately it is not a joke. Under current federal sentencing guidelines, the mandatory minimum for marijuana conspiracy is ten years. The overzealous prosecution has offered me a plea deal of 292 months (24 years), which at my age might as well be life. If I decide to fight this at trial and lose, I could be facing an actual life sentence. 

Yes, life in prison over marijuana.

Nothing about my case makes sense to anyone who looks at it through the lens of justice. Federal conspiracy and drug laws are notoriously broad, outdated, and harsh. Nothing to be truly shocked about if one considers that condoms were not made federally legal until 1965 (Griswold v. Connecticut.) 

I was never found to be in possession of drugs, guns, or money. There are no victims and there is no violence in my case. I’ve never been to Nebraska, know anyone in Nebraska, or had any knowledge of anything at all regarding Nebraska, especially not marijuana being sold there. Despite this, I am being held responsible for quantities of cannabis and cash far exceeding anything actually seized during the investigation. Under federal law, estimates and testimony from cooperating witnesses can dramatically inflate the alleged conduct of defendants, a process that is deeply unjust.

Current sentencing guidelines recommend a life sentence in my situation. Despite recent headlines, cannabis has not been rescheduled yet and remains federally illegal. Even if rescheduling eventually occurs, it does not help me. Even without the additional enhancements the government is applying, the base charge of marijuana conspiracy carries a longer sentence than second-degree murder, kidnapping, rape, or even selling children into pornography.

In what world is that justice?

As if that wasn’t enough, since I allegedly have an “aggravated role” in the conspiracy (meaning that out of a bunch of California residents who grow and sell weed, I’m supposedly the one “in charge,” as if I was El Chapo) I do not qualify for any programs that would reduce my sentence.

During this process I have also experienced pressures and threats that made me fear for my family and for my legal representation. These events contributed to the loss of my retained attorney, leaving me reliant on an overburdened public defender who has not spoken to me in months. 

If the government’s goal were solely to punish me for an alleged crime, I have already been punished more than enough. I have lost everything. I have been incarcerated for over two and a half years without a single breath of fresh air. I have never been allowed in-person visitation with my loved ones — only monitored and non-private phone calls. The conditions here have affected my health. How much more punishment is considered appropriate for a non-violent, victim-less marijuana charge, especially in a country where cannabis is legal in the majority of states?

Is this not cruel and unusual punishment?

With 38 states legalizing some form of cannabis and over 61 million Americans reported as marijuana users in the 2022 National Survey of Drug Use and Health, it seems inhumane to impose life-destroying penalties for non-violent cannabis offenses regardless of the alleged quantities. I am asking for your help as I pursue a commutation of sentence from the President of the United States.

If you have any legal, political, or public connections — to President Trump, Alice Marie Johnson, Joe Rogan, or anyone who can help elevate my story — that support would be life-changing, that would be a Godsend. I believe that if President Trump understood the details of my case, he would recognize the injustice and intervene.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for your time. I hope you find it within your heart, schedule, and moral compass to help in any way you can.

I am infinitely grateful for any assistance you may provide.

Thank you,