GRAND RAPIDS — A Lansing man who called himself the "professor of pot" was convicted of trafficking marijuana from his dispensaries across Michigan.

A jury found Daniel Trevino, 47, guilty of 10 federal marijuana trafficking-related charges, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Michigan.

Trevino owned Hydro World and operated dispensaries in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Mount Pleasant and Flint from 2010 to 2017.

"Trevino’s Hydro World operated far outside the boundaries of not only federal law but also the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in the news release.

Trevino had thousands of marijuana plants and sold hundreds of kilograms of the drug, generating at least $2.9 million, according to the release. As a convicted felon, Trevino was only allowed under Michigan's medical marijuana law to have up to 12 marijuana plants and 2½ ounces of marijuana for personal use.

“Although Trevino has long claimed that what he was doing was legal under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, he was not even close to being legal," U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said in the release. "Trevino had ample opportunity to realize the illegal nature of his business under both federal and state law, given the number of times his operations were searched. He would not stop."

Although authorities searched Trevino's stores and grow locations at least 16 times in six years, Trevino resumed operations shortly after each search, according to the release.

Through Hydro World, customers could have marijuana delivered to them, according to the release. Trevino also leased space for other growers to sell marijuana, which effectively created a "marijuana farmers' market."

Although both recreational and medical marijuana is legal in Michigan, the drug remains illegal federally.

Trevino faces five to 40 years in prison. He will be sentenced later this year. Other people prosecutors said were associated with Trevino, Dolores Lopez, Daniel Corbin and Daniel Bachelder, pleaded guilty and have already been sentenced.

Trevino considered running for Lansing mayor in 2017, but a prior felony conviction disqualified him from holding that office. His son, Danny Trevino Jr., ran in his place.

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Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.