Doctor Charged in “81” Property Vandalism

A Traverse City hand doctor faces felony charges after he admitted to vandalizing the home of the developer of the “81 on East Bay,” a controversial development on the Old Mission Peninsula

Mark Leslie admitted to spray-painting “Land Rapist” on a wall in front of the home of developer Kevin O’Grady, and later using spray paint to deface the walls going into the development, located at Boursaw and Bluff roads.

Leslie told a Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputy that he was “very upset about the use of land and admitted to causing the damage to both of the O’Grady properties,” according to the charges. The incidents occurred in July and October.

Leslie, 65, faces two counts of malicious destruction of a building, a felony that carries up to five years in prison if he is convicted. The cost of the damage caused by the vandalism was estimated to be over $1,000.

Leslie was arraigned on the charges Thursday morning and released on a personal recognizance bond.

The proposed “81 on East Bay” development angered some neighbors on the peninsula and led to legal challenges which have delayed, but not prevented the project.