April 6, 2015 – A former Grand Rapids Michigan doctor identified as Gregory Kuldanek who certified some patients and caregivers for medical marijuana cards without in-person evaluations will be sentenced Monday, April 6, in federal court.
Kuldanek pled guilty to conspiracy to manufacture fewer than fifty marijuana plants.
Some excerpts from the article state…
“As part of a plea deal, “at great risk to himself,” he provided testimony against the leaders of an organization that was growing marijuana at various places in West Michigan, his attorney, Kelly Lambert III, said in a sentencing memorandum. Kuladanek testified against Betty Jenkins and Phillip Walsh and his cooperation likely led others to enter pleas.” “Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Courtade asked that U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney depart from sentencing guidelines because Kuldanek provided substantial assistance to the prosecution.”
“Kuldanek, 58, who had no prior criminal history, has moved to Palm Springs, Calif., with his life partner, a medical assistant. Kuldanek had focused on treating patients with HIV and AIDS. He is unemployed, and is uncertain if his medical license will be taken. He met patients through Jenkins and “actually believed that the patients were in need of medical marijuana for pain relief related to the various medical conditions that they presented with,” Lambert wrote. After a while, Dr. Kuldanek began to rely upon Ms. Jenkins’s word that a particular individual was in need of medical marijuana and that the patient, for whatever reason, was unable to make it to Dr. Kuldanek’s office for an examination,” Lambert wrote.”
Kuldanek began meeting prospective patients at restaurants and other places. Kuldanek admitted he knew that an in-person exam was required.
Police claimed 467 plants and 18 pounds of processed marijuana were seized from the case.
The original article was written by John Agar who covers crime for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids Doctor Sentencing-orig
