Teacher Arrested After His Mom Accidentally Served Marijuana Brownies At Senior Facility

An elementary teacher was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance after his mother unknowingly served his marijuana-laced brownies at a senior facility in South Dakota, authorities said.

A deputy with the Bon Homme County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a probable cause affidavit that Michael James Koranda, 46, was arrested on Jan. 5 following an investigation of reports of “possible poisonings" at the Tabor Community Center, NBC News reported Thursday.

The affidavit revealed that Koranda’s mother told Bon Homme County Sheriff Mark Maggs that “her son Michael had baked a pan of brownies” and the mother brought the sweets to the Community Center during a card game. The rest of the brownies were surrendered to authorities by Koranda’s mother.

Court documents revealed that reports of possible poisoning at the senior facility came on Jan. 4 at around 8 p.m. The responding deputy said he believed “the patients were all under the influence of THC” from the brownies. Police then headed to the elementary school where the man teaches and asked him about the brownies.

According to the affidavit, Koranda “admitted to bringing 1 pound of THC butter to make the pan of brownies and then went to bed, and his mother unknowingly took the brownies to the card game where several people ate them.”

Two people at the senior facility told the deputy who wrote the affidavit that Koranda returned to South Dakota with marijuana products over the weekend from Colorado, where marijuana is legalized for recreational use among people aged 21 and older.

Koranda has since handed over the remaining THC butter to investigators. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that gives people who consume it a "high" sensation, according to Healthline.com

According to KTIV, Koranda was a teacher for the Bon Homme School District. Dakota News Now reported that the man is the choir director of the school district.

A report by local radio station KYNT said that Koranda remains on the staff list of the school district, but it is unclear if he is still an employee or not following his arrest. Koranda is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 25. He was released from custody after posting a bond of $3,000. He is faced with potential fines and even prison time if convicted.