GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced Wednesday that Brian Pierce and Vincent Brown were sentenced for paying bribes to Rick Vernon Johnson, the former Chairperson of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board.
45-year-old Pierce of Midland, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison, fined $25,000 and will serve two years on supervised release following his release from prison.
33-year-old Brown from Royal Oak, Michigan, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, fined $25,000 and will also serve two years on supervised release following his release from prison.
“Mr. Pierce and Mr. Brown deliberately bribed Rick Johnson for their own personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “As I’ve said before, public corruption is a poison to our democracy and shatters the people’s trust in public officials. My office will hold offenders accountable – whomever, whenever, and wherever we find corruption and blatant disregard for the rule of law.”
Rick Johnson served on the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board (MMLB) between May of 2017 and April 2019 as a member and chairperson.
Before being appointed to the MMLB Johnson had also worked as a lobbyist in Lansing, Michigan, and served as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. Johnson himself was sentenced in September to over four years in federal prison.
Pierce and Brown worked as lobbyists in Lansing. They also did business together as Philip Alan Brown Consulting, LLC and Michigan Grower’s Consultants, LLC.
The two men lobbied on behalf of different businesses that were seeking operating licenses from the Medical Marijuana Licensing Board.
Both Pierce and Brown admitted to paying Johnson a total of $40,000 between June of 2017 and November 2018 while Johnson was chairperson of the board. At Johnson's request, Pierce paid a total of $2,000 to a Detroit stripper who was having commercial sex with Johnson.
All of the payments were made in order to influence and reward Johnson in connection with his board duties. Among those duties, receiving his assistance for their clients who applied for licenses to operate in the newly developing marijuana industry.
"Public corruption is the top criminal investigative priority for the FBI,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I am thankful for the outstanding FBI personnel for their daily commitment to following the investigative facts wherever they lead, particularly in this case. My office continues to urge concerned citizens to report public corruption information they believe they may have by calling FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting tips online at tips.fbi.gov."
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