Plainfield Hemp Farmer Arrested After Detaining Hemp Thieves

PLAINFIELD, IL — A local hemp farmer and three alleged thieves were arrested in Plainfield Monday after the farmer caught the group stealing from his hemp farm and chased the thieves, shooting his gun and detaining them at gunpoint in the process, police said. The alleged thieves — two of whom are juveniles — thought they had been stealing marijuana plants, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.

Around midnight Monday, officers responded to a call of an armed man holding three accused thieves on the roadway in the 14000 block of South Napa Circle in Plainfield Township, according to sheriff's office. Officers found Ashraf Hasan, who told them that he had detained three people he accused of repeatedly stealing from his hemp farm on West Taylor Road.

Earlier that night, Hasan saw three people on his farm cutting down hemp plants, a spokesperson for the sheriff's department said. Hasan ran into the field and fired his handgun several times in the air to scare off the thieves. The group fled into the nearby neighborhood, and Hasan got into his car to chase them, authorities said.

Hasan found the alleged thieves in a car, and the group drove in reverse to flee from the man, but their car struck a tree. The group got out of the car and Hasan drew his gun and forced them to the ground, holding them at gunpoint, police said.

Police said they searched the car of the alleged thieves and found metal shears and a hemp plant. A search of the hemp farm turned up a pair of metal shears and a machete, according to the department.

The group told police they were on the farm to steal what they believed to be "cannabis" plants, a police spokesperson said. Hemp is technically a strain of the cannabis plant, but it is grown for industrial use and does not produce a high when ingested.

Moises Luna, 18, of Plainfield, was arrested for theft under $500 dollars, criminal trespass to property, criminal damage to property and contributing to the delinquency of minors. Luna was released from jail with an I-bond, meaning he didn't have to pay to be released, according to court records.

A 15-year-old Plainfield boy and a 16-year-old Romeoville boy were also arrested and charged with theft, criminal trespass and criminal damage to property. The boys were released to their parents, the sheriff's office said.

Hasan, 43, was arrested for reckless discharge of a firearm and reckless conduct. He was released from county jail Monday afternoon, records show.

Hasan allegedly told police that his farm was having a problem with thieves stealing his plants. On Oct. 4, Hasan filed a report with the Will County Sheriff's Office regarding the theft of 30 hemp plants from his farm, according to Plainfield Police. That incident happened Sept. 8, and Hasan submitted surveillance video to authorities, police said.