The owner of the weGrow chain of medical marijuana supply stores has been charged in his home town of Oakland with several counts of defrauding the city out of thousands of dollars in 2008 and 2009.

Dhar Mann is facing 13 felony counts as prosecutors allege he stole thousands of dollars from an Oakland grant program that reimburses property owners for renovations.

Mann’s lawyer admits that his client “took shortcuts” but says the charges are overblown. Prosecutors say Mann bilked the city for $44,000 using fake checks and fraudulent paperwork and are accusing him of fraud in 4 of the 12 projects he got grants from the city for, including one of his weGrow store locations in the city.

Mann’s attorney – John Runfola – says Mann was ”discouraged by … the complex bureaucratic process and the struggling economy, [and] my client admittedly took shortcuts to complete reimbursement for the development process.”

Mann comes from an influential family in the bay area and has a stake in several businesses, including his family’s cab company in Oakland.

Mann is obviously innocent until proven guilty and time will tell what happens to him legally. We will bring you further developments in this story as they become available.

- Joe Klare