Court Watching: Nelson Po pleads guilty to attempting to grow 5-45 kg of marijuana

On June 26, Nelson Po of Sumpter Township entered a plea of guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to deliver/manufacture 5-45 kilograms of marijuana at his Harris Road home.
The plea was accepted by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Michael Callahan, who set a sentencing date of July 17.
Circuit Court Judge Ulysses W. Boykin sentenced Po to one year of probation and $1,548, payable over a year’s time. He could undergo periodic urinalysis upon request of the probation officer.
Judge Boykin also ruled that Po may grow marijuana within state statutes.
Po’s retained attorney was Robert Ruark of Canton Township.
A jury trial was ready to begin at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on June 26 when Po was persuaded to take the plea deal to plea guilty to the misdemeanor, instead of facing the jury verdict on the felony charge.
Judge Callahan turned the case over to the probation department for a pre-sentence recommendation.
The reduced charge could have brought up to four years in prison and a $20,000 fine or both. The original charge would have brought imprisonment for not more than seven years or a fine of not more than $500,000, or both.
Po, 69, was arrested on Aug. 16 by Sumpter police after they were called to his home by a neighbor complaining of a skunky smell of marijuana. He was freed on personal recognizance bond of $10,000.
Meanwhile, Po has sued the State of Michigan and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy for what he says is $1 million worth of cash and items taken from him by civil forfeiture during that raid. A settlement conference is set for Aug. 8 before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David J. Allen.
Also, Po has sued Sumpter Township and Police Detective John Toth in civil court over the Aug. 16 arrest.
Po claims conversion, stating the defendants converted, stole, extorted, and/or confiscated Po’s personal property on Aug. 16 when they raided his home and medical marijuana business on Harris Road.
Po also faces a misdemeanor charge of disturbing workers at Atchinson Ford in Van Buren Township on Oct. 29, 2015, where he went to talk to Sumpter Trustee Don Swinson about a 2015 raid on Po’s marijuana grow operation which is next door to Swinson’s father’s house.
That misdemeanor case was adjourned until Nov. 6 after the felony case was resolved in circuit court.