Jailed Kidderminster cannabis grower ordered to pay back £35,000 or face longer sentence
A man jailed for growing cannabis at a Kidderminster property has been ordered to pay back the proceeds of his crime, or face more time in prison.
Jamie Rogers, 43, of Kestrel Close, Kidderminster, must pay back his criminal earnings of more than £35,000 or receive 18 months on top of his existing custodial sentence.
The order comes after West Mercia Police carried out a warrant at a home on Albert Road in Kidderminster in January 2020.
At the premises, officers uncovered a sophisticated cannabis farm in operation that made use of several rooms throughout the property, including the basement.
Two men were arrested in connection with the grow; Warren Williams, aged 50, of Green Acres Road, Birmingham, and Jamie Rogers.
On March 11, 2022, both entered guilty pleas to the charge of conspiracy to produce cannabis. Williams was issued an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Rogers, who owned the property, was sentenced to 28 months in prison and, at a hearing at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, March 24, was instructed to pay back his criminal earnings of £35,827.19.
If he doesn’t, he will receive another 18-month custodial sentence.
Detective Inspector Dan Fenn said: “Using digital forensics we were able to identify key evidence that helped us prove that Rogers was involved in cultivating cannabis at a home he owned in Kidderminster.
“Now, following a thorough investigation and using the Proceeds of Crime Act, we have been able to make sure that he doesn’t benefit from his ill-gotten gains and show that crime doesn’t pay.”
