Alleged Thieves Mistake Hops Farm for Pot Farm

At about 3:45 p.m., Nov. 26, a hops farmer in Alexandra, Prince Edward Island, spotted a woman and two men on his property near his farm buildings. He called the police and the three suspects were quickly arrested without incident, according to the Queens District Royal Mounted Police (yes, the famed Mounties, as in Dudley Do-Right from Rocky and Bullwinkle).

After the three suspects were arrested they allegedly told investigators they thought they had broken into a pot farm, not a hops farm. According to the police, the three caused extensive damage to the farm’s crop that was already packaged for shipping to a brewery on the island. “This senseless act has impacted the farm’s ability to provide quality product to market,” according to a police statement.

Warren Jesse Howatt, 23, from Charlottetown, was charged with breaking and entering, mischief, and two counts of breaching a court order. He was held in jail. The other two suspects, who weren’t named by police but are also from Charlottetown, were charged, released and told to appear in court at a later date.

There is a legal marijuana farm on Prince Edward Island growing for the medical market that recently harvested its first crop. The facility is located just outside Charlottetown; maybe the three suspects just went to the wrong farm.

Corporal R.C. Gunn (real name), the press contact for the Queens District Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was unavailable for comment when Modern Farmer called for more information on the alleged crime. Sad. We really wanted to talk to Gunn.