A Traverse City hand surgeon is facing felony charges after admitting to vandalizing multiple properties owned by the Kevin O’Grady family on the Old Mission Peninsula, including the entrance signs of his development, “The 81 on East Bay,” on the corner of Bluff Road and Boursaw Road, in October (read our story here).
Mark Leslie, founding physician and partner with Hand Surgery of Northern Michigan, admitted to also vandalizing the Bluff Road home of O’Grady in July, spray-painting “Land Raper” on the breakwall and “Land Rapist” on the road in front of his home, with an arrow pointing to the home.
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“Land Rape” was painted on the entrance signs on both sides of the road leading into “The 81” development, and the perpetrator, now identified as Leslie, was caught on security camera footage.
According to a story posted by Traverse City Ticker on their Facebook page earlier today, Leslie told a Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputy that he was “very upset about the use of land,” and admitted to vandalizing both of the O’Grady properties.
Leslie, who is a resident of the Old Mission Peninsula, is facing two counts of malicious destruction of a building, a felony which carries up to five years in prison. He was arraigned on the charges this morning and released on a personal recognizance bond.
Kevin O’Grady’s son Kyle, a realtor with Re/Max Bayshore in Traverse City who is handling the sale of “The 81” lots, said they’re glad Leslie has been caught, but for them, it goes beyond the monetary damage caused by the vandalism.
“From our reality, it’s a lot more than a guy with a can of spray-paint,” he said. “It’s stalking. It’s multiple pieces of property, not just one and not just one time.”
He added, “The damage to the signs is one thing, a very large monetary amount, but what does that do to our reputation? I’m getting leads, people calling me from Detroit saying, ‘Hey, I’m interested in your property, but wait, was that the one that was on the news?’ So it’s had a lot more detriment than just the cost of the sign. It’s much more than that, and we’re going to do everything in our power to file a criminal lawsuit.”
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Sounds like even someone with a reputation such as this doctor, to act out so much like a juvenile, it makes someone wonder how a Doctor, reacts to someone so irrational? There has got to be so much more to the story, to have a doctor with this man’s credentials to act out so dramatically??
‘Hey, I’m interested in your property, but wait, was that the one that was on the news?’ So it’s had a lot more detriment than just the cost of the sign. It’s much more than that, and we’re going to do everything in our power to file a criminal lawsuit.”
Yeah, go hard against the disgruntled local. That will surely endear you to the already ticked off community. More brilliant strategy fro the O’Grady clan.
I support the O’Grady family. How awful to be stalked. Dr. Leslie thinks he can do as he pleases and is capable of anything since he has obsessed himself with the developers and went to great lengths to plan his attack. The courts shall decide.
That development is the problem, $$$$$$$$$$ talks. I say more power to Dr Leslie.
I am in total agreement with pursuing this to the full extent of the law. Isn’t the motto of a good physician do no harm. This is just another example of entitled rich folks thinking they can do whatever they want when they don’t like the way the rules work that someone has followed.
I wonder how this idiot would like someone to deface his property or office. And then the people on old mission that support this doctor’ actions can help him clean up his property. There are lots of things I disagree with about the peninsula but as a law abiding citizen I am not about to ruin someone’s business prospects or property.
I don’t think I would ever go to this doctors practice if he is this irrational how can you trust his medical judgement.
His family must have been in the know on this too hope they are all proud of their father husband who hopefully will not just get a slap on the wrist. And as for the ogrady’s endearing themselves to the community since when is seeking redress for criminal behavior and damages to ones livelihood a consideration for whether or not you are endeared in your community. These folks never had a chance.
Getting a big, fat insurance settlement for power-washing some spray paint off of some blocks seems like a pretty decent “redress.” They probably just pocketed 90% of that. The “emotional and reputational damages” they will no-doubt go after will, I am sure, also be balm for their souls — after they ignored the distress and dismay of so many, by foisting their monstrous Land Rape (yeah, accurate) on other residents of OMP. The doctor’s actions aside, cue the world’s smallest violin for his “comments” on the O’Gradys and their ugly development. Legal and permitted, sure. But also greedy, destructive, and reprehensible.
$495K per lot. the two with ‘million dollar views’ are spoken for. It’s a subdivision with the first spec house $2+ million coming soon. Certainly upscale, and that doctor was thorough. I agree with his sentiment but his timing is too far off, too late now. He needs to adjust his meds.
“O’Greedy”
Creative, Sally. Have a great day and may God bless you.
First, I’m agnostic. Second, I’m sure if your ‘God’ exists, he/she is appalled at the rampant destruction and desecration of his/her natural creations. There are better ways to build, dude.
I grew up on the Peninsula — and now, in my fifties, I hardly recognize it. I think you have no idea what you have actually done to it.
Hey Clayton, it is interesting that you agree with his sentiment given that you reached out to me last year asking if we had any interest in acquiring your property on Smokey Hollow for development… Just a bit hypocritical.
Have a great day!
Totally Agree- Who are the real entitled rich here- I’d say it’s the family pursuing big insurance pay out- and whining about the damage to they poor little reputations. Hopefully the millions your making -at the expense of everyone else- will sooth your itty bitty tiny characters.
“since when is seeking redress for criminal behavior and damages to ones livelihood a consideration for whether or not you are endeared in your community.”
There is something called “tact” and “proportionality.” Prosecuting someone for spraypainting your sign in the context of your already widely-loathed real estate development is the opposite of tact. Take the fat insurance settlement check and walk away, and send a cease-and-desist letter to Mr. Leslie warning him to stay off any property. Or just rent the power-washer yourself. I highly doubt this will escalate any further anyway.
I agree with Lou and Cathy. Hopefully he will NOT get a slap on the hand. Obviously he is unstable to do such a thing and I’m appalled that anyone would think he was right in doing this. The Bluffs where he lives were built on vacant property some years ago so why does he think he can attack someone who has followed all the terms of building on the peninsula. He deserves to pay for what he did and not just financially. He could do this to others he doesn’t approve of.
And, he is 100% correct , they are raping the land, I support him 110% & wish more people had the guts to do the same.
He is not unstable, the unstable ones are all the flatlanders that come up here & distroy our way of life, I hope they give him a reward & a medal.
I think it tells a different story about how”everyday” people are fighting back at the destruction of Old Mission Peninsula. I empathize. Please don’t attack me for the way I feel.
So rich “everyday”people can break the law in your view.
Let’s see how that works out.
You don’t like speed limits speed until you kill somebody.
You font like the gas prices on old mission destroy the pumps
You don’t like the house someone built on the peninsula because it doesn’t fit your taste burn it down
You don’t like all the “traffic” on old mission put nails in the road and maybe you can injure a mother with toddlers in the car while you are at it.
I just don’t see how you can ever justify criminal behavior and destruction of property whatever the reason
I think empathy does not mean support. Please be careful about using the virtual finger pointing via the over-use of “you”.
I used it in the general sense so insert one for you
thumbs Up!!
Those of you who support criminal behavior because you don’t like development should look in the mirror. Are you living on land that was a forest at one time it a meadow.
Please dint say the end justifies the means that’s what all the so called anti fa people say. I do mission is losing games at a rapid pace. Why should they be deprived of trying to salvage some financial security over the fact that the agricultural picture is changing. Will that farmer be your next target.
It really makes me wonder about people who smugly sit in their McMansions in similar developments and say close the gate a after me I got mine but you cNt have yours.
People who support this kind of criminal behavior should not be surprised when someone takes that support to the next level. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I would like to think the peninsula community is more than the lowest form of behavior.
Sorry for the typos
Dr. Leslie is a great doctor and a great person. Obviously what he did was the wrong way to handle the problem, but I am in complete agreement with him. He has admitted his error and willing to pay for any damages, so let’s give him some slack.
Cut him slack? He didn’t cut any slack for law abiding citizens. Did he apologize for setting a horrible example?
I figure there are a lot of people on the peninsula who oppose any development now that they sit in their nice houses and don’t want any others to enjoy peninsula living.
Did he come forward after his car and picture of him was posted. No he could have but instead he hid like a thief in the night until he was identified by the police.
I think his example is perfectly appropriate…
These cowardly, sneaky, repetitive acts show the type of person Mark Leslie is. This is not the first time this man in his 60s has behaved like this, maybe the first time he got recorded!
We are a nation of laws. I am surprised by all the comments supporting the illegal activity. Whether any of us like the cutting the trees on this property is not the issue. The development is LEGAL. The time for action should have been when the property was zoned high density residential. When that happened this property was essentially slated for eventual development. For the future: there are numerous ag properties now offered for sale. We need to increase our PDR program to buy the development rights. In other words we need to tax ourselves more than the present PDR tax. Also residents need to pay more attention to the zoning map and ordinance.
Maybe he didn’t like the sewage dumping into the bay…
I find the phrase, “Land Rape” of interest. How do we define it? Is it when a new golf course is developed so those with the means can play a game. Is when a hundred acres is stripped of trees and leveled so thousand of kids can play soccer? Is it when a large area of land is Tera-formed for a new “big box” store in Acme? Why the focus on just 81 acres? 81 acres for homes, not for games for the wealthy or profits for a big retailer. Beautiful homes where families can live and enjoy a well designed and developed property. That acreage sat empty for many years. There was no interest in it. Why wasn’t it purchased by those who now target it and developed into a park? Why do people feel the need to oppose something they could have had for themselves if only they had any foresight.
“If only they had the foresight” . . . to be born with a silver-spoon in their *whatever.* That land was — and those homes are — only for the very wealthy to even consider purchasing. That’s not lack of foresight; that’s being priced out of the market. SMH . . .
What ever happened with this? Did he go to trial yet?
[…] year, we reported that Leslie admitted to vandalizing the Bluff Road home of O’Grady in July, spray-painting […]
[…] took place at the O’Grady’s home near the south end of Bluff Road. We covered the story in 2019 here and […]