The wheels of justice grind slowly.
An American man wanted in connection with a cannabis grow-op near Bancroft 19 years ago has been arrested in Ontario.
In 2001, the Bancroft OPP had raided a home on Mooney Road in Hastings Highlands, where they seized more than 200 cannabis plants and located equipment associated with an extensive indoor growing operation.
Officers also recovered suspected methamphetamine, a loaded firearm, as well as nearly two dozen pit bulls.
An arrest warrant was issued in 2001 for American national Joe Dan Bates, who was also wanted by Texas police.
Since that time, the OPP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have been working jointly to locate the accused man.
On Thursday (June 11), the OPP and CBSA arrested Bates without incident at a home on Midland Road in Verner in West Nipissing.
The 64-year-old Bates has been charged with careless use of a firearm, production of a schedule two substance, and possession for the purpose of traffiking of a schedule two substance over three kilograms.
Bates was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing by video before the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on June 18th.
The investigation is ongoing. Once Canadian criminal proceedings are completed, Bates will be turned over to the CBSA to be processed under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
