The Georgia Department of Agriculture (DOA) said four people have been arrested for the theft of about 3,000 liters of hemp-derived CBD distillate with an estimated value of $3.6 million, WSBTV.com reports.
The theft happened in January at the Irwin County, Georgia-based hemp processing facility Second Century Ag, where officers responded to reports of the theft and confirmed that 3,000 liters of CBD distillate had been stolen from a warehouse. Investigators said two perpetrators used a rented U-Haul to transport the stolen goods to another county, where they switched vehicles, before driving the CBD distillate to Dallas, Texas.
Police arrested four people in Texas over the incident and they were all extradited to Georgia. The two suspects who are accused of actually stealing the CBD distillate are facing felony burglary charges, while two other suspects who were linked to the plot via peer-to-peer money transfers are facing both burglary and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors believe that one of the suspects, Aaron Wayne Smith, 29, was the main orchestrator of the plot, and are pursuing the following charges against him:
- Second Degree Burglary
- Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
- Use of a Communication Facility in Committing or Facilitating a Drug Transaction
- Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute
- Felony Theft by Taking
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper said in a statement he is “incredibly proud” of the investigation, highlighting DOA’s cooperation with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Rangers, and the Irwin County Sheriff’s Office.
“In Georgia we are sending a clear message, if you attempt to use agriculture as a cover for criminal activity – we will catch you and you will go to prison.” — Harper, in a press release
Cannabis remains illegal in Georgia except under the state’s limited medical cannabis program. Officials last year added dispensaries to the program after the total patient count exceeded 25,000, the threshhold set by the state for triggering expansion.
Meanwhile, lawmakers considered a bill this year to ban THC from all hemp products sold in the state but the Senate-passed proposal ultimately stalled in a House committee.
