COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County District Judge Brent Weigle ordered 51-year-old Richard Daniel Hernandez to stand trial in the Branch County Circuit Court following a major drug raid that uncovered a massive, “black market” butane hash oil laboratory.
During a preliminary examination before judge Weigle, details emerged regarding a May Michigan State Police raid at a residence on North Centennial Road in Coldwater Township, where troopers seized roughly 534 pounds of marijuana “shake and trim” along with 14 mason jars of high-potency marijuana wax.
While the defense argued the operation was strictly an unlicensed, non-profit medical setup to alleviate a personal back injury, prosecutors argued the sheer volume of marijuana deemed a “breathtaking quantity” by the judge—and electronic records pointed directly to a commercial, wholesale trafficking enterprise.
Hernandez now faces multiple severe felony charges, including possession with intent to deliver 45 kilograms or more of marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture marijuana product, and maintaining a drug house.
Because court records outline a criminal history dating back to 1992, the state is also prosecuting Hernandez as a fourth-offense habitual offender, which significantly elevates his potential sentencing parameters.
Currently free after posting a $75,000 bond under strict provisions—including a total ban on cannabis consumption and mandatory random drug screenings, Hernandez is scheduled to appear next for a circuit court pretrial hearing on August 17, 2026, at 9:00 a.m..
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