An elderly couple made headlines last week after they were arrested in Nebraska with 60 pounds of cannabis, telling police that they planned to give it away as Christmas gifts to relatives in Vermont and Massachusetts. The Burlington Free Press now reports that their son is Justin Jiron, chief deputy state attorney for Chittenden County, Vermont.
As deputy state’s attorney, Jiron is responsible for criminal prosecution.
His parents, Patrick, 83, and Barbara Jiron, 70, were arrested on Dec. 19 on Interstate 80 in York, Nebraska for failing to signal, according to reports. They detected “the odor of raw marijuana” emitting from the vehicle and Patrick agreed to the search that turned up more than 25 bags of cannabis – which police estimate a street value of more than $300,000. The elderly couple, who live in California about three hours north of San Francisco, received citations for possessing marijuana with intent to distribute.
“Justin is in no way connected to this allegation other than by relation. Justin is and has been a dedicated public servant for over 15 years and I assure you he is as surprised and upset about these allegations as anyone” – Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, Jiron’s boss, in an email to the Free Press.
The accused Jirons have not commented; however, they reportedly told police they did not know it was illegal to transport cannabis through Nebraska.