Lobbyist gets 2 years in prison for Michigan marijuana bribery scheme
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A lobbyist responsible for $42,000 in bribes given to the head of a Michigan marijuana licensing board was sentenced Wednesday to two years in federal prison.
Brian Pierce cooperated with investigators in bagging the big target, Rick Johnson, who was formerly known as a powerful Republican lawmaker before leading the marijuana board in 2017-19.
The board reviewed and approved applications to grow and sell marijuana for medical purposes. Johnson was recently sentenced to more than four years in prison for accepting $110,000 when he was in charge.
Pierce, a lobbyist and consultant for politicians and the marijuana industry, was greedy and in a “dark place” when he conspired to bribe Johnson, defense attorney Ben Gonek said in a court filing.
Prosecutors said Pierce’s corruption included paying a Detroit stripper $2,000 to have sex with Johnson.
“Pierce’s bribes corrupted the process for the state’s issuance of licenses for businesses to operate in a new and lucrative industry,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher O’Connor said in a court filing.
Pierce’s partner, Vincent Brown, also faces sentencing Wednesday.
Michigan voters legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 2008. A decade later, voters approved the recreational use of marijuana.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer abolished the medical marijuana board a few months after taking office in 2019 and put oversight of the industry inside a state agency.
Attorney discusses ‘Federal Circuit Cases of Interest in 2023’ Oct. 24
The Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) will host a virtual event on Tuesday, October 24, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. via Zoom. Speaker Rick Hoffmann will discuss “Federal Circuit Cases of Interest in 2023.”
Hoffmann is president of Reising Ethington and leads its litigation group. He has litigated intellectual property disputes at every court level from state courts up to the United States Supreme Court. Hoffmann is a frequent panelist and contributor to IAM, and has twice been named to IAM 300 Global leaders. In addition to his legal practice He is an adjunct faculty member at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law teaching Patent Law.
The meeting agenda includes:
• 11:45 a.m. to noon—Networking
• Noon to 1:15 p.m.—Presentation
For additional information or to register, visit http://mipla.org and click on “events.”
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