Eric Dwayne Dickerson, 51, of Abell, Maryland, has been sentenced to eight years in the Maryland Division of Corrections for stealing nearly $100,000 worth of cannabis from his employer, Story Cannabis, a licensed marijuana manufacturing and cultivating company located in St. Mary’s County.
The thefts occurred in August 2023. According to court documents, Dickerson, who had been employed as a custodial worker at Story Cannabis for approximately seven months, exploited his position to access secure areas within the facility. On August 20, 2023, Dickerson was caught on surveillance cameras stealing cannabis. At around 7:40 a.m., he was seen entering the processing and drying storage room, where he placed approximately five pounds of cannabis into trash bags. He then loaded the bags onto a company utility vehicle, a John Deere Gator, and transported them outside the facility.
Later that day, at around noon, Dickerson returned to steal an additional 10 pounds of cannabis, once again using trash bags to conceal the stolen product. The total value of the cannabis stolen on that day alone was reported to be $35,200.
The theft was discovered by a security officer who reported the incident to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. Further investigation revealed that this was not the first time Dickerson had stolen from the facility. He had also taken cannabis on at least three previous occasions—August 5, August 12, and August 19, 2023—although the exact amounts stolen on those dates remain undetermined.
Dickerson returned to the facility at around 1:49 p.m. on August 20, 2023, to return the utility vehicle but fled the scene when confronted by the security officer. He was later apprehended by law enforcement.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution highlighted the seriousness of Dickerson’s actions, arguing that his theft could have contributed to illegal drug distribution and posed a risk to community safety. Despite Maryland’s sentencing guidelines recommending a term of six months to five years, the court handed down a more severe sentence of eight years in prison, reflecting the gravity of the crime.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Dickerson to pay $99,480 in restitution to Story Cannabis. This amount was formalized as a civil judgment against him on August 12, 2024.
State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling expressed the importance of holding individuals accountable for such crimes, especially given the potential dangers posed by the theft of controlled substances like cannabis. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa Ridge, with significant contributions from Deputy Christopher Truss of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Criminal Investigations Division’s Vice/Narcotics Unit.
H/T: smnewsnet.com
