The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist HISTORY’S SWEETEST THEFT
3 Reasons to Put Down Your Cell Phone in 2020
This Year, Resolve to Remember Georgia’s Hands-Free Law
Maple syrup holds a proud place in the history and culture of Quebec, Canada. It’s also a big part of Quebec’s economy, with 72% of the world’s maple syrup produced in Quebec alone. Due to tactics employed by the Federation of Quebec Maple
This month, thousands of Americans will resolve to limit their screen time in 2020. If you keep an eye on major news outlets, you already know the hours per day we spend glued to our cell phones, laptops, and tablets is a controversial issue. Kids and teens make the news the most for their tech obsession, but even seniors are spending less time reading and socializing in favor of staring at screens. In 2020, consider jumping on the bandwagon and resolving to put down your cell phone a bit more — not because it’s trendy but because it’s the smart, logical choice for your health (and your wallet). Here’s why. 1. IF YOU’RE DRIVING, IT’S ILLEGAL! In 2018, Georgia passed a hands-free law that made it illegal for drivers to touch their phones behind the wheel. “Even with hands-free technology, drivers cannot write, read, or send text messages, emails, social media content, and other internet data while on the road,” writes the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia. Fines start at $50 and can run up to $150 for repeat offenders. Why risk it? 2. IT COULD BOOST YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. Studies show that spending too much time on our phones can interfere with healthy sleep patterns, leaving us groggy and grumpy. Social media has also been linked to mental health problems. Psychology Today reports, “Studies found the tendency to compare oneself to others on social media — whether you see yourself in a more positive or more negative light — is a significant risk factor for depression and anxiety.” 3. YOUR FAMILY WILL THANK YOU. How would you feel if you came into our office for a consultation with Kevin Patrick, only to have him text through the whole meeting? You’d probably be upset and justifiably so! Though Kevin would never do that, odds are there have been times your own spouse or kids have felt similarly unheard. Next time you sit down to a family dinner, switch your phone to silent and look your family in the eye — your relationships will thank you! Kevin has taken the leap himself by resolving to spend less time with his phone this year, but he’ll still always pick up at the office! Call him today at 404-566-5880 if you’re struggling with a legal problem.
Syrup Producers (FPAQ), the NPR-backed podcast “The Indicator” estimates that maple syrup is valued at approximately $1,300 per barrel — over 20 times more than crude oil. The FPAQ controls the available syrup supply, never releasing enough maple syrup to meet demand, which increases the price. As a result, most of the world’s maple syrup is stored in various reserves. Between 2011 and 2012, a group of thieves decided to liberate the syrup from an FPAQ facility in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec. Stealing syrup from Canada doesn’t sound as glamorous as stealing cash from a Vegas casino, but their plan could rival the plot of “Ocean’s Eleven.” At the FPAQ facility, syrup was stored in unmarked metal barrels and only inspected once a year. The heist, led by a man named Richard Vallières, involved transporting the barrels to a remote sugar shack in the Canadian wilderness, where they siphoned off the maple syrup, refilled the barrels with water, and returned the barrels to the facility. The stolen syrup was then trucked east to New Brunswick and south across the border into Vermont. Wisely, the thieves sold their ill-gotten goods in small batches, avoiding suspicion from legitimate syrup distributors. In what is now known as the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, thieves made off with 10,000 barrels of maple syrup valued at $18.7 million. This remains one of the most costly heists in Canadian history. Vallières himself became a millionaire and took his family on three tropical vacations in one year. Unfortunately, the thieves got sloppy and stopped refilling the barrels with water. When an FPAQ inspector visited the targeted facility in the fall of 2012, he accidentally knocked over one of the empty barrels. The inspector alerted the police, who would go on to arrest 17 men in connection to the theft, including Vallières himself. Police were then able to recover hundreds of barrels of the stolen syrup, but most of it was never recovered — likely lost to pancake breakfasts far away.
You can always reach Kevin directly at 404-566-8964 or Kevin@PatrickTrialLaw.com. (If you ever need it, his cell phone is 404-409-3160.)
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