Man carrying honey, not methamphetamine, jailed for months

ANNE ARUNDEL, Md. – A Maryland man visiting Jamaica decided to bring back some honey from his favourite roadside stand and was jailed for months on the false assumption he was smuggling methamphetamine.

News outlets report Leon Haughton was returning home from a family visit last Christmas when a drug-sniffing dog alerted to his bag at Baltimore’s airport. He figures it was the fast-food leftovers he was carrying.

He was arrested and remained jailed despite being granted work release, even after a Maryland state lab, weeks later, found no evidence of drugs in the honey. A follow-up test also was negative.

But because Haughton holds a green-card, it was either jail or potential deportation until his Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer was removed. He spent 82 days behind bars for carrying honey.