IRWIN COUNTY, Ga. — Four people were arrested in a multi-million-dollar hemp oil theft, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
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In January 2025, the Ocilla police contacted the DOA that a major theft had occurred at Second Century Ag, a hemp processing facility in Irwin County, Ga.
When officers arrived, they learned that 3,000 liters of CBD distillate had been stolen from the warehouse.
The product, a liquid extract coming from the hemp plant through distillation, was reported to have an estimated value of $3.6 million, the DOA said.
Medicalnewstoday states that CBD distillate is a liquid containing a refined form of CBD. The distillation process helps to remove some other compounds from the cannabis plant.
Investigators said the suspects rented a U-Haul in Atlanta and linked the U-Haul with two people living in Houston, TX.
The DOA identified those suspects as Maurice Cornelius Williams, 41, and Deandre Meshack, 24.
According to officials, the pair traveled from Houston to Georgia and broke into the Second Century Ag processing facility. There the suspects loaded the stolen CBD distillate into the U-Haul truck and drove the product to another county, where the substance was put onto another truck.
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Investigators said they were able to identify two more suspects involved in the burglary through peer-to-peer money transfers and electronic devices.
Those suspects were identified as LaShayla Jones, 31, and Aaron Wayne Smith, 29.
The two are originally from Memphis, Tenn., but were found living in Dallas, TX.
All four were arrested and extradited to Georgia by Irwin County deputies with the help of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Investigators believe Smith is the primary orchestrator of the crime.
While GDA has not been able to independently confirm, this case is likely one of the largest Hemp theft cases on record.
“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,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper.
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The suspects are facing the following charges:
Williams:
- Second Degree Burglary
Meshack:
- Second Degree Burglary
Jones:
- Second Degree Burglary
- Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
Smith
- 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
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