Former Kent County jail Sgt. and medical marijuana patient Timothy Bernhardt, who is being charged along with three other corrections officers for possessing medical marijuana brownies, has died. According to the family’s attorney, Bernhardt died Sunday morning. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Bernhardt was set to be sentenced for “maintaining a drug house” after being busted with pot brownies. As we told you last week, marijuana concentrates are illegal in Michigan, which courts there have taken to include marijuana-infused butter.
Bernhardt was facing up to two years in jail and $25,000 in fines.
Matthew Newburg, Bernhardt’s attorney hinted that the stress of the trial likely contributed to his death.
“I’m sure the stress of what he was going through with this case had something to do with it,” Newburg told WOODTV.com. “I can’t tell you the result of this is simply because of this case.”
Last week, Tim Scherzer, who also pled guilty in the case, was sentenced to five years on probation and $10,000 in fines along with his wife, Alyssa. The two were found guilty of providing marijuana to Bernhardt and three corrections officers/medical marijuana patietns to make marijuana brownies.