Pennsylvania company hires retired officers to transport cannabis

PENNSYLVANIA (WHTM) – Talaria was founded in Pennsylvania in 2017. They specialize in transporting cannabis products and cash.

“Cannabis transport is a high-risk operation,” said Talaria founder and CEO, Ari Raptis.

They aim to be the largest employer of retired law enforcement in the country. Talaria made the decision to exclusively hire retired law enforcement and military professionals.

“Because they have the training, discipline, and real-world experience to handle high-risk operations,” said Raptis.

Officers are also trustworthy “and have the professionalism where their background ensures the high level of integrity and accountability,” said Raptis.

“We show up on time. We drive well. We go within the speed limits,” said Talaria employee, William Teper.

They have 170 employees working in Pennsylvania.

“We hired a part-time officer who’s our first employee, who’s still with the company. He was the chief of police of East Pennsboro Township,” said Teper.  

Another employee is a former Pennsylvania State Police Major with more than 30 years of experience.

“I retired in 2018. I took a year off, took my family, did a little bit of traveling then after 2019 I just had to do something,” said Teper.

Teper says the best part of the job is having a flexible schedule. This job also gives retired officers the opportunity to talk to each other.

“They miss talking to other law enforcement once they retire. So, with this job there’s always two people teams and a chance to talk and tell stories,” said Teper. Talaria operates in 30 states including some where recreational marijuana is legal. If Pennsylvania were to legalize it, Raptis says they would need to hire five times the number of employees.