Palmetto berry thieves caught with 4,600 pounds of berries in Southwest Florida

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Two Immokalee men are jailed for crimes after Collier County MPs found more than 4,500 pounds of illegally harvested saw palmetto berries in their vehicles.

Daniel Navarrete, 23, and David Casillas, 19, both from Immokalee, were arrested and charged with flight and flight and aggravated theft, both crimes; and harvesting berries without permission, an offense.

Florida law requires pickers to have permission from the State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and property owner permission to legally harvest saw palmetto berries on private property.

According to the arrest reports from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, none of the men had permission or permission to remove berries from the property owner.

The saw palmetto berry harvest season usually runs from late July to October. They’re usually commercially distilled to make a natural dietary supplement and medicine for men’s health problems.

Arrest reports said the men fled MPs in separate vehicles after a Collier County Sheriff’s flight unit on a routine patrol around 12:30 p.m. observed several people harvesting palmetto berries on private land in the area and alerted MPs.

Collier County MPs seized more than 20 large sacks of harvested berries weighing 4,600 pounds, valued at approximately $ 5,400 from vehicles.

Four passengers from Navarette’s vehicle were tried and released.

See similar https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/palmetto-berry-thieves-caught-with-4-600-pounds-of-berries-in-southwest-florida

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from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/palmetto-berry-thieves-caught-with-4600-pounds-of-berries-in-southwest-florida/