American known as ‘Godfather of Grass’ arrested in Montreal

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

The U.S. Marshals Service said authorities sought John Robert “Johnny” Boone after they seized 2,400 marijuana plants on his Kentucky farm.

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The agency said he was arrested Thursday when information led authorities to a downtown Montreal shopping mall.

Boone, who is about 73, spent more than a decade in prison after being convicted in the 1980s in what prosecutors called the “largest domestic marijuana syndicate in American history.”

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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.

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Boone is now awaiting extradition to the U.S.