Man used 'dangerous weapon' to steal hemp flower worth thousands from dispensary, police say – wyff4.com
A man who was caught on camera in an armed robbery of a North Carolina dispensary is headed to prison.
Gary Joshua Leming, 45, of Asheville, pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to the Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams.
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Williams said the guilty plea comes in connection to the Aug. 11, 2023, armed robbery at The Plug Smoke Shop & Dispensary CBD Store on Patton Avenue.
He said police were called about 6 p.m. by a store employee.
The employee told police a man took a gallon jar of hemp flower, worth thousands of dollars, without paying.
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Hemp flower is the bud of a Cannabis plant with 0.3% or less THC content, experts say.
The man then pulled a knife as the employee attempted to block him from leaving.
Leming was identified from surveillance video about a mile from the dispensary at a city bus stop, Williams said.
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He said Leming later admitted to taking the hemp flower, leaving the store after pointing a knife, and stashing the jar in a backpack.
Officers recovered the stolen hemp flower, saying it had a retail value of around $4,000.
Williams said Leming was sentenced after a plea deal to six-to-eight years in prison.
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