AURORA POT DOCTOR PLEADS NOT GUILTY

AURORA - An Aurora doctor accused of doling out bogus medical
marijuana recommendations pleaded not guilty this week, setting up a
four-day jury trial in August.

Manuel Aquino-Villaman, 70, entered the plea during an arraignment
Monday afternoon in Arapahoe County District Court.

According to an arrest affidavit filed against Aquino-Villaman, two
separate Aurora police officers went to his office undercover to
obtain medical marijuana recommendations, the first in February 2010
and the second in April 2010.

In the first visit, the officer told Aquino-Villaman he was in a
motorcycle accident 10 years ago and had two metal plates inserted in
his head because of injuries from the crash.

The officer said he never told the doctor he was in pain because of
the crash.

In the second case, an officer told Aquino-Villaman that he had been
run over by a tractor and sustained abdominal and facial injuries.

Again, the officer didn't say he was in pain because of the crash, but
he did say he had ringing in his ears.

Aquino-Villaman wrote medical marijuana recommendations for both
officers, citing pain as the reason.

Neither officer received marijuana at Aquino-Villaman's clinic, though
the first officer tried to.

Both officers recorded the doctor's visits on hidden microphones and
the first paid $125 for the consultation. It wasn't clear from the
affidavit if the second officer paid.

Aquino-Villaman's lawyer has said the doctor acted appropriately when
he recommended medical marijuana for the two officers and that, based
on what the officers told the doctor, they should have qualified for
medical marijuana.

Aquino-Villaman was charged with attempting to influence a public
servant, namely the director of the state's medical marijuana
registry, and with forgery, alleging he falsified the medical
marijuana recommendation.

Prosecutors said last year they planned to charge him with conspiracy
to distribute marijuana, but it wasn't immediately clear this week if
that charge has been formally filed.

Court records listed only the original two charges on Tuesday.
Prosecutors and Aquino-Villaman's lawyer did not return calls or
e-mails seeking comment on those charges this week.

Aquino-Villaman ran into trouble again last fall when the Colorado
Medical Board suspended his medical license pending the outcome of an
investigation into allegations he recommended medical marijuana for a
pregnant woman.