2nd lobbyist pleads guilty in medical marijuana corruption scheme
Federal prosecutors secured the fourth guilty plea in a bribery scheme involving Michigan's former medical marijuana licensing board.
Brian Pierce, 45, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit bribery charge Friday in a federal courtroom in Grand Rapids. Pierce, along with Vincent Brown, 32, funneled $42,000 in bribes to former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson during Johnson's tenure as chair of the now-defunct Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Agency. Johnson, Brown and Oakland County businessman John Dalaly all pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the scheme last month.
Dalaly pleaded guilty to providing $62,200 worth of bribes to Johnson in cash and benefits in exchange for getting business licenses approved. All four men are cooperating fully with the government as it continues its investigation. Last month, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said the investigation into the corruption scheme remains ongoing.
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Pierce faces up to five years in prison and a potential fine of $250,000. He was released on an unsecured bond of $25,000, meaning he only has to pay bond if he violates any bond conditions. Under the terms of his bond, Pierce's travel is limited to the state of Michigan and he had to surrender his passport. Sentencing will likely be later this year.
Government prosecutors have agreed to consider motioning for a sentencing guideline reduction for Pierce in exchange for his cooperation.
U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering will oversee sentencing for Dalaly and Brown on Sept. 14. Johnson's sentencing date is slated in front of Beckering for Sept. 28.
Johnson, a Republican from Osceola, was House speaker from 2001-04. He came under scrutiny from the Free Press in 2017 when former Gov. Rick Snyder named Johnson, who was a registered lobbyist from 2005 until 2016, to the Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Board.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer dismantled the board via executive order in 2019, shortly after recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan by voters in 2018.
Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2nd lobbyist pleads guilty in medical marijuana corruption scheme
