MEDICAL MARIJUANA RAIDS

Almost 2 Dozen Being Arraigned in Oakland County

Felony drug and conspiracy charges were brought Friday against nearly
two dozen people involved in raids of three medical-marijuana
dispensaries this week in Ferndale and Waterford Township.

Arraignments for the Waterford cases ran into the night. The Ferndale
cases were heard in Hazel Park.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the cases will force
into the open a wide range of abuses of the Michigan Medical
Marijuana Act. But defendants and their attorneys said those arrested
were complying with the law.

In Hazel Park District Court, Magistrate James Patterson arraigned 10
people with ties to Clinical Relief, the Ferndale storefront
operating as a medical-marijuana outlet. All were released on
personal bonds after pleading not guilty to drug felonies carrying
maximum penalties ranging from four to seven years.

Arraigned by video link to the Oakland County Jail, where they have
been in custody since Wednesday night, were: Derek Anderson, 29, of
Ferndale; Michael Danto, 23, also of Ferndale; Anthony Agro, 42, of
Troy; Barbara Johnson, 40, of Leonard; Matthew Curtis, 39, of Lake
Orion; and Ryan Fleissner, 30, of Livonia.

Arraigned by personal appearance in court were: Ryan Richmond, 33, of
Royal Oak, a co-owner of Clinical Relief; Barb Agro, 69, of Lake
Orion; her son Nick Agro, 38, another partner in the business, also
of Lake Orion; and Angelina Veseli of Roseville.

"The law was passed with the intent to help those with chronic and
debilitating issues. It was not intended to create drug houses that
hide under the cover of compassion," Oakland County Sheriff Michael
Bouchard said today.

At the Ferndale site, employees were selling marijuana to customers
who lacked a state card showing they'd been approved to use medical
marijuana, and were doing drug deals "outside the Ferndale
dispensary," Bouchard said.

But partners in Clinical Relief. Ryan Richmond, Matthew Curtis, 39
and Nick Agro said that Agro's mother was in charge of scrupulously
checking the paperwork of each customer.

"This was a business that was fully approved by the city and the
local police," defense attorney Paul Tylenda said. The investigations
and raids were conducted by the Oakland County Sheriff's Drug
Enforcement Team, and local police were merely notified to stand by,
officials in Ferndale and Waterford said this week.

Arraignments at Waterford District court for operators of Everybody's
Cafe and Herbal Remedies were held in two courtrooms before Waterford
District Court judge Richard Kuhn and magistrate Sandra Aspinall.

The defendants, via video camera from the Oakland County jail, made
their appearances one by one. Kuhn and Aspinall entered not guilty
pleas in each case.

Candace Teichman, 45, co-owner of Everybody's Cafe in Waterford,
appeared pensive as Kuhn read the charges against her. In addition to
being a licensed care giver, she also has a medical marijuana card
that allows her to use it for pain medication. Her attorney, Jeffrey
Perlman, told the court he has known Teichman, and her husband
William Teichman, also charged, for five years.

"My client did not intend to commit a crime," he said. Kuhn set
$5,000 cash bonds, 10 percent, for both Teichmans, meaning they can
post $500 each and be released, pending an Aug. 31 pretrial hearing.
The judge also ordered that the two stop dispensing marijuana from
the cafe, and not use illegal drugs or alcohol.

Perlman, noting that Candace Teichman has a prescription medical
marijuana card, asked the judge if his client could continue to use
the drug while awaiting trial. The judge said no. "I know the law is
evolving and changing," Kuhn said. "But I said no illegal drugs."

A family member said she planned to bail both Teichmans out of jail
Friday night.

Also charged was the cafe's cook, who, like Candace Teichman, has a
medical marijuana card, and told investigators he smokes a half a
joint every other day for back pain. Laval Crawford, 38, has a prior
criminal record, so Kuhn set his bond at $10,000 cash.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, others scheduled
for arraignment today in Waterford on charges ranging from possession
to drug distribution include Max Brochert, 22, of Birmingham, Michael
Scott Danto, 23, of Ferndale, William Rush, 47 of White Lake, Todd
Robinson, 34, of Southfield, Kirk Swafford, 25, of Waterford,
Jennifer Zuck, 29, of Waterford, Edward Thomas, 48, of Harrison
Township and Matthew John-Drinnon Miller, 26, of Waterford.