The general manager of 305 Farms is facing potential criminal charges after he sold 665 pounds of pot and used the $269,000 in cash to pay his team back wages.
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Employees at 305 Farms, a Michigan cannabis company, view their general manager, Darrell “DJ” Howley, as a hero after he sold company cannabis without authorization to pay their overdue wages. In October, after the company stopped issuing paychecks, Howley took matters into his own hands, selling 665 pounds of cannabis for $269,000 and distributing the cash to his struggling staff, who had been unable to afford basic needs like rent and groceries.
“I didn’t want to do this. I had to,” Howley told Metro Times, explaining that employees were facing serious financial hardships, from repossessed vehicles to evictions. The company’s human resources director even resorted to collecting food donations so staff members could eat.
Now, Howley faces a criminal investigation, while the company’s interim CEO, Jan Verleur, has labeled the sale as “major embezzlement and grand larceny” and is cooperating with law enforcement to potentially retrieve some of the money and cannabis. Employees, however, maintain that the sale was not theft but a necessary action to receive what they were owed.
A Toxic Workplace
Despite missed paychecks, employees continued working in hopes of eventually getting paid, with some like Tracy Morris relying on the job for health insurance to treat serious medical conditions. Morris, a bladder cancer survivor, said the company’s mismanagement forced her to go six weeks without pay, plunging her credit score and causing her car to be repossessed. She estimates that 305 Farms owes her over $30,000 in unpaid wages, and her credit score has fallen from 730 to 489.
In July, several employees sued 305 Farms for unpaid wages, and Verleur attributed the issue to a “catastrophic harvest failure” from HVAC problems. Verleur claims the plaintiffs have since been compensated, yet the company reportedly still owes vendors and staff thousands in unpaid bills.
A “Family” Under Strain
While Verleur describes 305 Farms as a “family” striving to overcome hardship, employees recount a workplace marked by fear and distrust. In text messages obtained by Metro Times, Verleur allegedly made unsettling statements, threatening to “take a shit on everybody’s desk” and suggesting that he might “go out in glory mass shooter style.” His troubling comments have compounded an already demoralizing environment, according to staff.
A Deepening Crisis
The financial instability and lack of paychecks have led to a mass exodus. Once a 65-employee operation, 305 Farms now has only a dozen remaining workers, many of whom have quit in recent weeks. Despite low morale, many employees remained out of a sense of duty to each other, often bringing food from home so coworkers could eat at least once a day.
Jacqueline Morgan, a former 305 Farms security worker, recently left after falling behind on her mortgage due to unpaid wages. Morgan says she and other employees bonded deeply over shared struggles and were convinced by Verleur’s emotional pleas to stay loyal. “They really had us believing in this place,” she said.
Verleur maintains that no one was forced to work without pay and claims he was “transparent” with the team. However, Howley estimates that the company still owes more than $1 million in unpaid wages. Despite the risks, Howley stands by his actions, saying he did “what’s right” for his team. For his efforts, employees see Howley as a “modern-day Robin Hood,” a sentiment echoed by Morgan, who called him “just awesome” and “a hero.”
The investigation by the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office remains ongoing.
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