GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The former chairperson of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board (MMLB) has been sentenced to 55 months in prison for soliciting and accepting bribes. He is 70-year-old Rick Vernon Johnson from LeRoy, Michigan.
According to Department of Justice, Johnson was a member and chairperson of the MMLB from May 2017-April 2019. He was previously a lobbyist in Lansing, and served as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001-2004.
While he was chairperson of the MMLB, Johnson received at least $110,200 in bribes. They included cash payments, flights to Canada on a private aircraft, and commercial sex paid for by others.
For the payments, Johnson provided an unfair advantage to bribe payers, in the form of his favorable vote on license applications, his help and support throughout the licensing process, and confidential inside information about MMLB’s work.
To conceal the brides, Johnson began using a second “burner” phone. He also laundered bribes through various limited liability companies he controlled to hide their purpose. Several of the bribe players referred to Johnson using the alias “Batman.”
In addition to serving 55 months in prison, Johnson was fined $50,000. He was also ordered to forfeit an additional $110,200. After he is released from prison, Johnson will serve two years on supervised release.
“Rick Johnson’s brazen corruption tainted an emerging industry, squandered the public’s trust, and scorned democracy that depends on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten. “My office stands ready to fight public corruption whenever and wherever we find it, without fear or favor, following the evidence wherever it leads, with independence and impartiality.”
“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 facts, not politics, wherever they lead, particularly in this case. The FBI continues to urge concerned citizens to report public corruption information they believe they may have by calling the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting tips online at tips.fbi.gov.”
