Last year, days after the Christmas holiday, a Maryland man flew back to the US from his birthplace of Jamaica with three jars of honey. However, he ended up spending nearly 3 months in jail for his trouble.
Leon Haughton, a father of 6, was accused of bringing a controlled substance into the country, and subsequently spent 82 days in jail after he was arrested on December 29th for possession of liquid meth.
According to CNN, Customs and Border Protection Officers, who searched Haughton’s bag upon his arrival to Baltimore/Washington International Airport, arrested Haughton after the honey he was carrying tested positive for drugs.
“They said I was charged with methamphetamine, so I said, ‘what is methamphetamine?’” Haughton told CNN affiliate WJLA.
Haughton said he had purchased the jars of honey on the side of the road while in Jamaica, but officers suspected it was liquid meth.
The honey tested positive for meth during a field test, according to a probable cause statement.
Haughton was taken to a county jail to face multiple charges including importing a controlled substance into the state and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
He remained in jail until March when charges were dropped after a follow-up test in a Georgia lab proved that there was no signs of drugs.
While he was incarcerated, his entire life was destroyed.
“Once I came out, all my insurances collapsed, my credit was destroyed, I lost my job, everything. They just left me a mess,” Haughton told WJLA.
Prosecutors amazingly maintain that there was no error made in his case.
Terry Morris, Haughton’s attorney, said customs even sent his client a letter offering him the honey back after the ordeal.
Instead, Morris is preparing to file lawsuits. “Lawsuit (are) going to be coming soon,” Morris says.
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