Ex-marijuana entrepreneur jailed for cyberstalking the mayor, others

SUNDAY, Oct. 22— Marijuana business entrepreneur Michael Doherty is in Ingham County Jail after being arraigned Saturday on 10 felony counts of cyberstalking Mayor Andy Schor and others.

Doherty was taken into custody Friday on charges of aggravated cyberstalking and using a computer to commit a crime, Lansing Assistant Police Chief Robert Backus said. 54-A District Judge Cynthia Ward set $125,000 bail and required a GPS tether, psychological evaluation and no contact with the victims listed in the complaint, Backus said. He didn’t release the names of the alleged victims, but Schor confirmed he was among them. Backus said they received “thousands” of text messages.

Doherty’s marijuana manufacturing businesses, MD Industries LLC and Rehbel Industries LLC, collapsed under $12.5 million in debt and were placed in receivership last year.

In a court hearing last April, 30th Circuit Judge Draganchuk sentenced him to 93 days for criminal contempt after he belligerently accused her of “corrupt and and unacceptable actions.” The hearing was on a motion by attorney John Polderman, the court-appointed receiver, that sought criminal contempt charges against Doherty. Polderman’s motion said Doherty had harassed a title agent who oversaw the transfer of MD Industries property, had sent “veiled threats” by email, harassed attorneys and others involved in the case and sent inappropriate emails to people involved.

After serving his sentence in Ingham County Jail, Doherty resumed sending emails to some earlier recipients but broadened his list to include others.

Among his targets was Berl Schwartz, editor and publisher of City Pulse. One of the text messages for which he was arrested included a photo of Schwartz and said beneath it: “These idiots will get theirs too.” In an email, Doherty wrote:to Schwartz, “Your entire Firm is going down over this as we speak. Can’t perform Domestic Terrorism and get away with it the Court of Law.”

The gist of Doherty’s complaint against Schwartz was that City Pulse was failing to report on “corruption” by Polderman, Draganchuk and others.

City Pulse first reported on Doherty in 2020 in a cover story after he purchased the old John Bean factory and set up his manufacturing operation. It published several stories this year and posted an exclusive video of the hearing at which he was sentenced for contempt.

Doherty’s next scheduled court appearance is Nov. 2 before Ward, Backus said.