9Wants to Know has learned a doctor has been arrested on suspicion of felony charges tied to illegal marijuana distribution following a five-month-long investigation by Aurora Police.
Dr. Manuel Aquino-Villaman was arrested at his practice, Canna Health, on Thursday. The 69-year-old physician is expected to face charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and attempting to influence a public servant, both felonies.
Aurora Police say officers became suspicious when they encountered a disproportionate number of medical marijuana patients with paperwork authorized by Aquino-Villaman.
A five-month investigation into the doctor's practices included a sting where two undercover police officers obtained signed doctor's certificates allowing them to buy marijuana.
"This was essentially a facade," Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said. "Four minutes in the doctor's office and our suspicions were validated."
Police say Aquino-Villaman spent little time with each undercover officer, did not physically examine either and did not request medical documentation before issuing medical marijuana physician's certificates. The cost for each consultation was $125.
Each officer described a real-life accident he'd experienced, Oates said, but neither claimed the symptoms claimed by the doctor.
Canna Health's website says the clinic, in the 3000 block of South Parker Road, offers a "stress-free environment" where patients receive "convenient, reliable medical advice and evaluations at an affordable cost."
A clinic employee called the arrest "harassment" on Friday, but said Canna Health would decline to discuss the incident due to lack of information. The employee indicated Aquino-Villaman was not in the office Friday.
Aquino-Villaman was held at the Aurora Detention Center before being released on $6,000 bond.
Oates said the evidence in the case was too obvious to ignore, even knowing that medical marijuana is such a hot-button issue.
"This is not some crusade against medical marijuana. This is reasonable steps by a police department to investigate essentially an obvious fraud," Oates said. "This kind of hit us over the head. We felt compelled to do something about this once it was brought to our attention."
Aquino-Villaman has not been subject to any public punitive actions against his medical license since it was issued in 2007, according to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' website. Aquino-Villaman received his medical training at the University of Barcelona in Spain, said a department spokesman.
Aquino-Villaman is also registered to practice medicine in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Community Health's website does not indicate any disciplinary action or open formal complaints against Aquino-Villaman.
The doctor is not accused of directly providing marijuana to patients, simply allowing them access to dispensaries.
On Friday, a reporter observed two stacks of business cards on Canna Health's front desk: one belonging to Canna Health and the other to a dispensary called Green Cross Caregivers.
At Green Cross, also on South Parker Road, the lobby desk featured two stacks of business cards: one for Green Cross, the other for Canna Health.
Green Cross owner Aram Matinyan said there was no arrangement for Aquino-Villaman to funnel healthy patients to Green Cross to buy marijuana.
"There's no conspiracy," Matinyan said. "I have no idea whether or not we've been investigated but there is nothing to hide."
Matinyan said he believed Aquino-Villaman is the subject of harassment for his involvement with medical marijuana.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: 9news.com
Author: Jeffrey Wolf Kyle Clark
Contact: 9news.com
Copyright: 2010 Multimedia Holdings Corporation
Website: Physician arrested in undercover medical marijuana sting
Dr. Manuel Aquino-Villaman was arrested at his practice, Canna Health, on Thursday. The 69-year-old physician is expected to face charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and attempting to influence a public servant, both felonies.
Aurora Police say officers became suspicious when they encountered a disproportionate number of medical marijuana patients with paperwork authorized by Aquino-Villaman.
A five-month investigation into the doctor's practices included a sting where two undercover police officers obtained signed doctor's certificates allowing them to buy marijuana.
"This was essentially a facade," Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said. "Four minutes in the doctor's office and our suspicions were validated."
Police say Aquino-Villaman spent little time with each undercover officer, did not physically examine either and did not request medical documentation before issuing medical marijuana physician's certificates. The cost for each consultation was $125.
Each officer described a real-life accident he'd experienced, Oates said, but neither claimed the symptoms claimed by the doctor.
Canna Health's website says the clinic, in the 3000 block of South Parker Road, offers a "stress-free environment" where patients receive "convenient, reliable medical advice and evaluations at an affordable cost."
A clinic employee called the arrest "harassment" on Friday, but said Canna Health would decline to discuss the incident due to lack of information. The employee indicated Aquino-Villaman was not in the office Friday.
Aquino-Villaman was held at the Aurora Detention Center before being released on $6,000 bond.
Oates said the evidence in the case was too obvious to ignore, even knowing that medical marijuana is such a hot-button issue.
"This is not some crusade against medical marijuana. This is reasonable steps by a police department to investigate essentially an obvious fraud," Oates said. "This kind of hit us over the head. We felt compelled to do something about this once it was brought to our attention."
Aquino-Villaman has not been subject to any public punitive actions against his medical license since it was issued in 2007, according to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' website. Aquino-Villaman received his medical training at the University of Barcelona in Spain, said a department spokesman.
Aquino-Villaman is also registered to practice medicine in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Community Health's website does not indicate any disciplinary action or open formal complaints against Aquino-Villaman.
The doctor is not accused of directly providing marijuana to patients, simply allowing them access to dispensaries.
On Friday, a reporter observed two stacks of business cards on Canna Health's front desk: one belonging to Canna Health and the other to a dispensary called Green Cross Caregivers.
At Green Cross, also on South Parker Road, the lobby desk featured two stacks of business cards: one for Green Cross, the other for Canna Health.
Green Cross owner Aram Matinyan said there was no arrangement for Aquino-Villaman to funnel healthy patients to Green Cross to buy marijuana.
"There's no conspiracy," Matinyan said. "I have no idea whether or not we've been investigated but there is nothing to hide."
Matinyan said he believed Aquino-Villaman is the subject of harassment for his involvement with medical marijuana.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: 9news.com
Author: Jeffrey Wolf Kyle Clark
Contact: 9news.com
Copyright: 2010 Multimedia Holdings Corporation
Website: Physician arrested in undercover medical marijuana sting
