UTICA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Shelby Township police announced the arrest of a suspect who is accused of robbing two cannabis delivery drivers. The thefts happened within 10 days of each other.
As marijuana sales continue to climb, passing $275 million in sales in July alone, delivery services have become common and are offered at Puff Cannabis Company in Utica.
“We do curbside, we do delivery, there’s handicapped people, people without vehicles,” Puff Utica owner Marvin Kiesi said. “We try to provide a service to the community and things like this happen.”
A few weeks ago, one of their drivers was robbed and punched in the face while making a delivery in an apartment complex near W. Utica and Ryan roads. The suspect took a few hundred dollars worth of product.
“The driver had contacted the person as he was making the delivery and the person said ‘Hey, can you wait a second,’” Kiesi explained. “That person approached him, took the product from him and left — he fled.”
Kiesi says the driver is physically OK and the store made a police report. But one week later, another cannabis delivery driver from a different company also got robbed at the same apartment complex.
“You got a tracking device called Onfleet that goes with the driver,” Kiesi explained. “We know where the driver is going. We know what product was taken with them.”
Kiesi says they also have plenty of cameras, which helped police identify the suspect, a 20-year-old Shelby Township resident who was arrested this week. The suspect is accused of being involved in both robberies.
“Our drivers' safety is really important to us and we’re glad Shelby Township caught the driver,” Kiesi said.
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency put out a January warning after 13 drivers were robbed. Kiesi says they will continue to exercise caution, using security measures to curb the robberies and in this case, catch those responsible.
“I don't want anyone to think that oh wow, a cannabis dispensary delivery driver got robbed,’” Kiesi said. “Pizza drivers get robbed, you know? Grubhub, all these different drivers. These things happen in communities and that's why we have the police department to handle it.”
The suspect was arraigned this week on two robbery charges. Bond is set at $25,000.
