The Pizza Is Innocent

Regarding the allegations of money laundering through Pizza Guru, there is simply no truth to them [News, “Wrong Kind of Dough,” 6/24/10]. The prosecutor has informed me through my counsel that they have developed evidence that Pizza Guru was “not an ongoing concern,” and rather a shell through which we would route skimmed funds from Hortipharm. All one needs to do to learn that this is patently false is to go sit at Guru for an hour from 7 to 8 p.m. or so. The lines speak for themselves: Guru’s fresh, local, and organic ingredients, along with our sustainable business practices and vegan and gluten-free specialties have helped to raise the bar for pizza in Santa Barbara. I am proud of my wife, and her involvement in this hot mess is unconscionable. For her, Pizza Guru is a mission to provide better diet alternatives to those who care how they feed their body.— Joshua Braun

(Editor’s Note: The writer is executive director of the recently raided Hortipharm medical marijuana dispensary.)