Man Faces 15 Years After Stealing House Plant He Thought Was Pot

We’ve all heard the old adage, “crime doesn’t pay.” Well, in the case of this Pennsylvania man, who faces up to 15 years in prison after stealing a house plant he thought was pot, no phrase has ever rung truer.

A Costly Mistake

The bizarre string of petty robberies committed this past March, courtesy of one Maico J. Rosado Jr., makes the 21-year-old man an arguably pathetic figure.

This past Wednesday, Rosado was sentenced 7.5 to 15 years in prison, after pleading guilty in August to robbery and three counts of burglary. Prior to his plea, Rosado was facing 15 criminal charges due to the series of robberies. It’s what was taken, however, that makes this case so outlandish.

Let’s go back to the beginning.

According to court records, on March 21, Rosado broke into the Jabber Jaws Bar & Grille in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The owner, who happens to live downstairs in a basement apartment, rushed upstairs when he heard a window break. The two met face-to-face, guns drawn, and mutually agreed not to fire if Rosado left the establishment.

“I’ll leave if you leave,” the owner negotiated with Rosado.

Rosado agreed and fled the crime scene. His loot? A keepsake $1 bill.

Now here’s where the story becomes even more ludicrous.

Rosado, unsatisfied with his whopping dollar-haul, decided to have another go. About two and a half hours later, Rosado broke into a local home by firing a shot through the window (one would think there HAD to be a less conspicuous way, but that’s a different discussion).

When Rosado entered the home, the only thing he took was a house plant, thinking it was a marijuana plant. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

Rosado then continued his incredibly low-profiting crime spree an hour later by pulling a gun on a woman who confronted him for breaking into her car. He snatched her purse and exclaimed, “don’t call the police,” before fleeing.

Soon after the third incident, Rosado was identified by patrolling police. He dropped his handgun and fled, before eventually getting arrested a short time later.

The icing on the cake? The gun was, you guessed it—also stolen.

Final Hit: Man Faces 15 Years After Stealing House Plant He Thought Was Pot

If there was ever such an award for being the worst criminal ever, Maico J. Rosado Jr. would certainly be a finalist.

It’s not every day one commits armed robbery for a dollar bill, a house plant and a woman’s purse, but we guess Rosado isn’t your every day criminal. Of all the items, only the plant would have been worth a significant chunk of change—had it actually been a weed plant. If Rosado was smart (which he clearly isn’t), he would’ve just checked out our grow section, and saved himself a lot of trouble.

Maybe in 15 years, Maico. It will probably be legal in Pennsylvania to do so by then, too.