The year 2012 saw the arrest of three people for a multi-million-dollar theft operation. The thieves were after something highly coveted in Canada: maple syrup. That’s right, these men stole nearly $15 million in maple syrup from a Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers storage facility in Quebec, Canada. The warehouse is a co-op between many producers of maple syrup and included around 7,500 syrup producers in the province. The theft was first reported after noticing empty syrup barrels during a routine inventory check, and some barrels that had been drained of syrup and filled with water. The thieves not only stole the syrup, but they also took various pieces of syrup-making equipment.
3.4 million liters of maple syrup was stored in the warehouse, which was over 10% of Quebec’s entire harvest for the 2012 season. It was never revealed how much was stolen during the theft, but much of it was sold throughout other parts of Canada and the United States. Over 300 people were interviewed throughout the investigation, with the three arrested on charges of theft, handling stolen goods, fraud, and conspiracy. Nearly five years after the start of the investigation, all three men were sentenced to jail, ranging from two to eight years. The judge ordered that they must also pay fines consisting of millions of dollars over the course of fifteen years.