- March 11, 2026
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A 39-year-old Spring Hill man is facing 10 years in federal prison after being arrested Tuesday. His crime? Transporting stolen onions and potatoes across state lines.
Jason Canals has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice, charged with eight counts for the interstate transport of stolen property. In addition to jail time, he may have to forfeit proceeds that can be traced back to the crimes.
Canals was first indicted Feb. 19, and an arrest warrant was issued at the time. The records, though, were sealed until he was picked up in Tampa March 10.
According to the indictment and a statement from the Justice Department, here is what happened:
The charges stem from “multiple schemes” Canals allegedly performed that defrauded nine wholesale produce companies out of more than $600,000 between August 2024 and August 2025.
In one instance, he is alleged to have sent a shipment of yellow and red onions worth $28,216.50 to Florida from Texas. And in another, he’s alleged to have diverted a shipment of russet potatoes worth $10,584 from Idaho to Florida.
Once he had the produce, Canals allegedly failed to pay for the shipment and transportation. There are six other similar instances mentioned in the indictment.
According to court records, Canals was able to accomplish this by allegedly sending “false and fraudulent” emails using a company’s name and email signature to five undisclosed companies. The emails asked that shipments meant for the company named in the email be diverted from the original destinations to Florida.
Prosecutors don’t disclose the companies’ names in court records but say the shipments were not paid for.
As part of that scheme, Canals allegedly included in the emails the first company’s PACA license number and its Blue Book Services number, which he was unauthorized to use.
(PACA stands for the Perishable Agriculture Commodity Act. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the PACA license is for anyone who buys or sells more than 2,000 pounds of fresh or frozen fruits or vegetables in a given day. It is proof to “customers and suppliers that you are a serious businessperson who can be trusted to honor the terms of your contracts.” As for Blue Book Services, it is a credit reporting agency for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry.)
Canals allegedly defrauded three other companies by initially paying for the first shipment of produce “as a means of building trust.” Afterward, the Justice Department says, Canals would send false documentation via email to make the companies believe he had already paid for the produce.
Once the produce was received, Canal allegedly failed to pay for the shipment or transportation.
The case was investigated by USDA’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn E. Hoenemeyer is prosecuting the case.
Court records show a motion has been filed for Canals’ release, but it was not immediately clear late Wednesday afternoon if he had been let go. There is a record showing a receipt for his passport, which is commonly handed over as a bail condition.
