TYNDALL, S.D. — A Tabor man is facing charges after police say his mother passed out his pot brownies during a card game at the Tabor Community Center.
Shortly after 8 p.m. on Jan. 4, police in Tabor responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a possible poisoning. An investigation found that all patients involved had been to the Tabor Community Center earlier that evening for a card game.
As authorities spoke with patients, they came to believe each of the patients were all under the influence of THC from a batch of brownies that were brought to the gathering.
The following morning, police spoke with the woman who supplied the brownies. She claimed her son, Michael Koranda, 46, of Tabor, had baked the brownies, which she had taken to the Tabor Community Center.
The leftover brownies were surrendered to police.
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Police then turned their attention to the patients. Patients K.W. and W.W., identified in court documents only by their initials, told authorities that several people had consumed the brownies that Koranda’s mother had brought — including themselves.
K.W. and W.W. said it wasn’t until after they had eaten the brownies they realized Koranda had made the brownies after a week-long trip to Colorado, which he had returned from with products that contain marijuana.
After taking statements from the victims, police headed to the Tabor Elementary School, where Koranda works as a vocal music educator, according to his LinkedIn profile.
An arrest affidavit alleges Koranda admitted to bringing one pound of THC butter home to Tabor from Colorado. He claimed he had made brownies using the THC butter, but had gone to sleep and was unaware his mother had taken the brownies to the card game.
Koranda told police he had another half-pound of THC butter at his home, which was then seized by authorities.
An arresting officer noted on his affidavit that a complete report of Koranda’s arrest is not yet complete, and will be provided at a later date.
Koranda was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance — a Class 5 felony. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
He’s due in a Bon Homme County courtroom for an initial appearance on Jan. 25.
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Brad Peters, superintendent of the Bon Homme School District, was not immediately available for comment.
