Authorities Tuesday identified a man killed last weekend in a fiery bayside car crash near the USS Midway Museum as a former medical-marijuana executive who was facing possible prison time for financial crimes.
Michael Llamas, 33, was behind the wheel of a northbound 2016 Lamborghini that veered off North Harbor Drive at high speed shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The luxury sports car crashed into a palm tree south of West Broadway, struck an ornamental roadside anchor and burst into flames.
The San Diego resident died in the driver’s seat of the charred and mangled vehicle. A female passenger who was thrown from the wreckage was hospitalized in undisclosed condition.
Llamas, whose death was ruled an accident, served as the first CEO of Poway-based Medical Marijuana Inc., a cannabis-products provider that bills itself as the first-ever publicly held company of its type.
After serving about three years in the post, he resigned in 2012 upon being indicted in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme that cost loan agencies and other victims more than $10 million.
Last year, Llamas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was scheduled to be sentenced next month, according to court records.
Following Llamas’ death, the marijuana-products company he once headed released a statement expressing sorrow over his death and praise of his achievements.
“The company has learned that Michael Llamas died in a traffic accident over the weekend in San Diego,” the firm stated. “The company mourns the loss of one of its visionary founders. Mr. Llamas was an incredible philanthropist and changed countless lives throughout the world.”
— City News Service
