GRAND RAPIDS — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Daniel Dario Trevino, 48, of Lansing, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 188 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for each of the following counts of conviction: conspiring to manufacture and distribute 100 kilograms of marijuana or 100 marijuana plants, maintaining a drug-involved premises (5 counts), and manufacture of 100 marijuana plants or more. Trevino was also sentenced to serve 60 months for two counts of manufacturing marijuana, and for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He will serve the prison terms concurrently. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney also imposed a $10,000 fine and a 4-year period of supervised release.

In sentencing Trevino, Judge Maloney stated that despite recent legislative amendments regarding other controlled substances under federal drug laws, “the fact is: marijuana is still a schedule I controlled substance under federal law.” Judge Maloney described Trevino’s offense conduct as defiant, especially after federal law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at various locations in May 2016.

“As noted by Judge Maloney, marijuana remains illegal under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Birge. “Trevino’s conduct not only violated federal law, but it also made a mockery of the state laws of Michigan. Trevino had ample opportunity to realize the illegal nature of his business, both under federal and state law, given the number of times his operations were searched. He would not stop,” stated Birge.

In August 2019, after a four-day trial, a jury convicted Trevino on ten federal marijuana trafficking-related charges. The federal convictions and prison term resulted from Trevino’s operation of marijuana dispensaries across the state of Michigan. Trevino was the owner of Hydro World, a marijuana dispensary that operated with storefronts in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Mount Pleasant, and Flint between 2010 and 2017. Trevino’s Hydro World operated far outside the boundaries of not only federal law but also the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. Trevino had prior felony drug convictions involving cocaine and marijuana. As a previously convicted drug felon, Trevino was only qualified to cultivate and possess limited amounts of marijuana under state law (but not federal law). Instead, Trevino cultivated thousands of marijuana plants and sold hundreds of kilograms of processed marijuana, generating gross sales close to $3 million.

Trevino’s Hydro World also provided a delivery service, where customers could call Hydro World in either Lansing or Jackson and have marijuana delivered to them at a place of their choosing. Trevino also leased space at his storefronts for other growers to sell marijuana, effectively creating a marijuana farmers’ market. Trevino’s storefronts and grow locations were searched by law enforcement at least sixteen times between 2010 and 2016. Despite these searches placing him on notice his conduct was illegal, Trevino always resumed his illegal operations shortly after each search and law enforcement interaction.

Trevino is the last defendant to be sentenced in this marijuana trafficking conspiracy. The Court previously sentenced co-defendants Daniel Lee Bachelder to 48 months in prison, Daniel Vernell Corbin to 44 months in prison, and Dolores Rachel Lopez to 24 months in prison after they all pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the marijuana trafficking conspiracy.

“Trevino, a serial violator of federal and state law on a significant scale, warranted the federal and state law enforcement attention he received” stated Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Detroit Field Division. “As a convicted drug felon, Trevino was precluded from operating a marijuana dispensary of any type,” said Martin.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Tri-County Metro Narcotics Team (TCM), the Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), the Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (KANET), and the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (BAYANET) of the Michigan State Police, the Lansing Police Department, and the Flint Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Joel S. Fauson and Daniel T. McGraw prosecuted the case.