‘Godfather of Grass’ released from federal prison, now in Louisville halfway house

johnny-boone-06-04
johnny-boone-06-04

The Kentucky man known as the “Godfather of Grass” has been released from a federal prison over coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns.

John Robert “Johnny” Boone is now in a halfway house in Louisville after being released from Elkton Federal Correctional Institution in Lisbon, Ohio. The elderly Boone’s release was spurred by at least 520 inmates at the facility testing positive for COVID-19, WAVE3.com reports.

Boone, 76, of Washington County, the purported leader of the Cornbread Mafia, fled the U.S. in 2008 after being indicted on marijuana conspiracy charges related to his farm outside of Springfield, in Washington County. He was captured near Montreal, Canada, after more than eight years on the run.

After his capture, he reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in December 2017 where he agreed to serve a 57 month prison sentence after he admitted to “conspiring with other persons to possess more than 1,000 marijuana plants, intending to cultivate and grow the plants and distribute marijuana when the plants were harvested,” according to a statement from the Western District of Kentucky’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In 1989 the Cornbread Mafia was comprised of dozens participants, mostly Kentuckians, and produced $350 million in marijuana seized by authorities in nine states, including Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota, where a huge, underground marijuana grow operation was based.

In total, 182 tons of marijuana were seized at 29 grow sites. Six-four Kentucky residents were charged, 49 of whom lived in Marion County.

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com