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In a legal drama that reads like a high-stakes sting operation gone sideways, Oregon cannabis powerhouse Nectar has filed a federal lawsuit accusing a Chicago attorney and his associate of duping the company out of $300,000 in a failed scheme to secure a cannabis license in Illinois.

The complaint, filed Wednesday, names attorney Chris Haris of Chris Haris Law PC and his partner Michael Carter, who allegedly promised the moon and delivered dust. Nectar says the duo vowed to obtain a cannabis license for its affiliate, JJN Holdings LLC—also known as Nectar—within a year, but instead walked away with the money and zero results.

Big Promises, No Product

According to the lawsuit, Haris and Carter pitched themselves as insiders with unique access to cannabis licensing deals. They promised exclusive networking opportunities, high-level contacts, and fast-track licensing—if Nectar advanced them $300,000. The money changed hands, the clock ticked, and nothing materialized.

When the year deadline passed on March 24, 2023, the advance officially became a loan, per their agreement. But neither Haris nor Carter repaid a dime, Nectar claims. With a 14% interest rate piling on, the debt now totals $455,000.

“They had no exclusive access, no real connections, and no capacity to deliver,” the complaint states. “It was all part of a calculated scheme to pocket Nectar’s funds.”

A Bait-and-Switch Maneuver?

Rather than making amends, Haris and Carter allegedly attempted a pivot—proposing that Nectar hire them as managers of a new cannabis company called Canna Collective LOI, with each earning a $150,000 salary. But Nectar smelled smoke.

According to the lawsuit, Canna Collective LOI was only incorporated on July 10, 2023, months after the scheme had already unraveled. Nectar says the firm has no operational cannabis experience and suspects it was a hastily created front to buy time or leverage.

Nectar refused the offer—and after two years of unfruitful attempts to recover the funds, they’ve taken the matter to court.

Phantom Companies and Legal Haze

The suit also names Four Twenty Acquisitions LLC, allegedly run by Haris and Carter, as a defendant. Though presented in the deal as a licensed broker, Nectar now asserts the company didn’t legally exist when the contract was signed.

“This wasn’t just a breach. This was a blueprint for deception,” a source close to the case said.

So far, Haris has not responded to comment requests, and Carter could not be reached.

JJN Holdings is being represented by Bryna Dahlin and Juan Andrés Mata of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP. Legal representation for the defendants has not been made public at this time.