LANSING, Mich. — The "Professor of Pot" has been convicted.
That's according to the United States Attorney's Office.
Daniel Dario Trevino, 47, of Lansing, and the owner of Hydro World, was on trial for 4-days in west Michigan.
The "self-proclaimed" professor was convicted on 10 federal marijuana trafficking-related charges that resulted from his operation of marijuana dispensaries across the state.
Hydro World was open in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Mount Pleasant, and Flint between 2010 and 2017.
The Department of Justice said in a press release that Trevino "operated far outside the boundaries of not only federal law but also the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act."
Trevino had been convicted previously involving cocaine and marijuana, which qualified him to be a patient under state law to cultivate up to 12 plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for his personal use.
But federal prosecutors say that he cultivated those plants and sold hundreds of kilograms of marijuana not for his own use, but to the tune of $2.9 million in sales.
They say he used Hyrdo World to deliver the drugs to clients.
And leased space at his storefronts for other growers to also sell marijuana.
The storefronts and grow locations were searched several times between 2010 and 2016, and prosecutors say that Trevino would resume operations as normal after the searches.
“Marijuana remains illegal under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge. “Although Trevino has long claimed that what he was doing was legal under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, he was not even close to being legal and made a mockery of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act in the process. Trevino had ample opportunity to realize the illegal nature of his business under both federal and state law, given the number of times his operations were searched. He would not stop. Perhaps he will get a better understanding of the law behind bars,” stated Birge.
He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison due to the amount of pot that he dealt.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney will sentence him later this year.
Prosecutors added that Trevino’s closest associates at Hydro World - Dolores Lopez, Daniel Corbin, and Daniel Bachelder, pled guilty before trial and have already been sentenced.
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
