The prosecution arose out of the Sept. 22, 2009 seizure of 2,943 marijuana plants in Township 37, Washington County. On Jan. 24, 2014, following a jury trial, French was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture over 1000 marijuana plants, manufacturing over 1,000 marijuana plants, managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana, and harboring illegal aliens. His business, Haynes Timberland, Inc., was found guilty of managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana.
On Feb. 10, 2016, Haynes Timberland was sentenced to pay a $100,000 fine. On April 21, 2016, French was sentenced to 175 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Haynes Timberland and French were also ordered to forfeit $1,550,000, a warehouse compound in Township 31, and a hunting camp in LaGrange that facilitated drug trafficking. The funds shared today were from the forfeiture of the $1,550,000.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
