Man charged with interstate transport of half a million dollars of stolen onions and potatoes, feds say

A Florida man faces multiple charges related to a scheme to steal more than half a million dollars in produce, according to federal authorities.

On March 10, 2026, officials announced the arrest of Jason Canals, 39, of Spring Hill, Florida, on eight counts of interstate transport of stolen property, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Canals is accused of taking part in multiple schemes to defraud produce companies of approximately $600,000 in transportation costs and vegetables including potatoes and onions.

As part of one scheme, Canals allegedly used a company’s name and email signature block without permission to communicate with victim companies and request shipments of produce. After the shipments were sent, officials say Canals diverted them to a new location and then never paid the produce companies.

As part of a different scheme, authorities say Canals presented falsified documents showing that the companies had been prepaid for the produce shipments when in fact no payment was ever made.

If convicted, Canals faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.