A federal judge has sentenced Vincent Brown to spend 20 months in prison. Brian Pierce also received two years behind bars.
The two were Marijuana lobbyists representing companies entering the Michigan marijuana market. The five member Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Board oversees licensing and regulation.
Rick Johnson, who was chair from 2017 through 2019, received bribes from Brown and Pierce totaling more than $40,000.
Johnson, who was Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 through 2004, was recently sentenced to 55 months in a federal prison after pleading guilty to soliciting and accepting bribes.
After sentencing Brown and Pierce, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten spoke to a text message Brown sent to a client.
“'We own the board.' Now, in fact, he didn’t own the board, but he did own the chair of the board. And for $40,000 and some free commercial sex they owned Rick Johnson. The problem with that is, is obvious. No one should ever own an elected official.”
Totten says the investigation is ongoing.