Leo Gillick
Theft is theft, even if it is just tasty berries.
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There have been numerous berry heists cropping up all across Florida. This has resulted in significant losses to local farmers, so the police started paying attention. A full investigation was launched in order to discover who was behind the organised crime.
The tip-off that resulted in 11 people being arrested for berry theft came from an anonymous caller. They reported a group of people, wearing masks, carrying buckets to a U-Haul van. The police jumped into action and rushed to the scene.
“Because of the time of year, and the crime trends we’ve had the last several years, we knew this was potentially an organized group of saw palmetto berry pickers,” Sheriff John Budensiek said in a conference. On arrival, they found that their suspicions were correct.
11 men were caught red-handed and arrested for stealing berries. They were caught with over 6,000 pounds of the valuable fruit. This would have cost the farmer a significant amount, and netted the thieves a sweet resale.
Berry Bad News For Thieves
The saw palmetto berries that the thieves were stealing are illegal to harvest without a permit. The penalty for possessing the berries illegally can be up to five years in jail. They are a dietary supplement and are highly sought after.
The 11 people arrested for the theft of the berries looked to be part of some kind of juicy crime ring. As well as the 6,000 lbs of saw palmetto berries, a journal was found. It lists numerous places that the gang could visit and pick more. There were locations all across the state listed as potential spots.
After their arrest, the stolen berries were returned to the rancher they were stolen from. He basically got a load of free labour, and now he can resell them himself. But the thieves won’t be seeing any of the money.
As a result, the berry bandits are facing a bunch of charges. According to the affidavit, they face charges of harvesting saw palmetto berries without a permit or landowner permission, resisting arrest without violence, and dealing saw palmetto berries without a permit.
