UPDATE: ‘Godfather of Grass’ to Return to U.S. to Face Charges

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Lexington Herald-Leader is reporting that John Robert “Johnny” Boone, known as the “Godfather of Grass” will be brought back to the United States to face federal drug charges.

U.S. Marshals say authorities sought Boone after seizing 2,400 marijuana plants on his Kentucky farm.

He was arrested in Canada back in December of 2016, and has been in custody there since then.

The newspaper says a date for his return has not been set.

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12/22/16 10:50 p.m.

Authorities: ‘Godfather of Grass’ Arrested in Canada

Authorities say a man known as the “Godfather of Grass” has been arrested in Canada after eight years on the run.

The U.S. Marshals Service says authorities sought John Robert “Johnny” Boone after they seized 2,400 marijuana plants on his Kentucky farm. The agency said he was arrested Thursday when information led authorities to a small town outside of Montreal.

Boone, who is about 73, spent more than a decade in federal prison after being convicted in the 1980s in what prosecutors called the “largest domestic marijuana syndicate in American history.” They said he had 29 farms in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Wisconsin. The group became known as the “Cornbread Mafia,” and prosecutors said Boone was the leader.

Boone is awaiting extradition to the U.S.