United States News
See other United States News Articles
Title: Florida Man Jailed 41 Days Over 92 Grams of...Laundry Detergent
Source:
Reason
URL Source: https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/30/ ... n-jailed-41-days-over-92-grams
Published: Jan 30, 2019
Author: Joe Setyon
Post Date: 2019-02-04 06:42:45 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 8393
Comments: 92
A Florida man spent 41 days behind bars after police found a powdery white substance in his van last month. Spoiler alert: It wasn't drugs. Matthew Crull, 28, of Port St. Lucie, was sitting in his newly purchased van on December 5 when Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the KFC parking lot where he had fallen asleep. Someone had reported the vehicle as suspicious, so police were investigating. When deputies searched his van, they found marijuana, a beer in the cup holder, and a bag with 92 grams of a white powder in it. Deputy Steven O'Leary claimed to have conducted a field drug test on the powder, and said it tested positive for heroin. "I just looked at him baffled and confused because I had no idea as to where 92 grams of heroin came from inside my van," Crull told WPTV later. "I really freaked out," he added to WBPF. "I started panicking and didn't really know what to think." Crull was right to be surprised. He says the alleged heroin was actually laundry detergent. But the truth wouldn't come out until much later. After his arrest, Crull was jailed for 41 days and charged with trafficking heroin. Due to the severity of the charges, there was no way he could afford bond. "It made the situation very real. [The judge] raised my bond to $100k to half a million dollars, so there was really no way I was getting out of jail," he told WPEC. Crull admits that he's been in trouble with the law before, but nothing this serious. "In the past, when I have gone to jail, it's been something where I knew I wasn't going to be there forever. It's a lot different than going to jail and the charge of trafficking of heroin carries a penalty of 25 years in prison," he explained to WPTV. Crull was eventually released, though not before he spent Christmas and New Year's behind bars, after the sheriff's office tested the "heroin" again and discovered the truth. The trafficking charge was dropped, as was the count of marijuana possession. This sort of story is more common than you might think. Reason has previously written about police misidentifying cotton candy and donut glaze for meth. In another case, North Carolina police bragged about a massive fentanyl bust, only to learn later that they had confiscated 13 pounds of sugar. The culprit in each of these cases were field test kits that provided false positives. Washington Post journalist (and former Reason staffer) Radley Balko even has a handy list of some of the things misidentified as drugs by field tests. Crull's case, meanwhile, may have been part of a larger scandal that had nothing to do with malfunctioning field drug tests. The arresting deputy, O'Leary, has been fired after the sheriff's office discovered other discrepancies. In three recent narcotics arrests, O'Leary claimed field tests had revealed drugs. Further crime lab testing revealed that wasn't true. O'Leary, who had been a Martin County sheriff's deputy since February 2018, had made about 80 drug arrests before being terminated. All of those are now under review, and 11 people, including Crull, have already been freed. "It would have been a travesty to risk leaving anyone in jail," Sheriff William Snyder said at a press conference Monday, explaining that some of those released did have drugs in their possession, just not as much as O'Leary had initially claimed. "It's better that 100 guilty people go free than one innocent person goes to jail," Snyder added. "Our goal is always justice, and there was more than enough reasonable doubt on our part on all those arrests that we would not have left anyone in jail one more minute." Spoiler alert: It wasn't heroin.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 38.
#1. To: Deckard (#0)
And how did he explain having 92 grams of laundry detergent in an unmarked bag? Was he planning his own version of the Tide Pod challenge? So the drug test showed a false positive. Change the testing procedure and move on. But certainly he bears some responsibility for what happened.
I'm guessing you've never done any laundry at a laundromat. But certainly he bears some responsibility for what happened. For having laundry detergent in an "unauthorized" container? New low for you paulsen.
I have, but more than 92 grams worth. I also had fabric softener, a pocketful of quarters, coat hangers and a basket of laundry. Were those items also in his car?
HAAAAAA Remember, you’re trying to educate an AGENDA dickTARD. He doesn’t give a shit that the “laundry detergent was packaged in little zip lock baggies... in “8-ball” amounts. lol
Our back-of-pack dose suggestions for front loaders (1.5 tablespoons or 25 grams) and top loaders (3 tablespoons or 50 grams) are based on a 5kg machine, which is industry standard for small to medium sized machines. Naturally, larger machines require proportionally more powder, so try 2 tablespoons or approximately 30 grams for front loaders and 3.5 tablespoons or 60 grams for top loaders. Other variants such as how dirty your clothes are, how hard your water is, and how full the water level is will also impact your wash, so this is only a guide. Remember though, as our washing powders are a very concentrated product without unnecessary fillers, we would always recommend using a lesser amount and gradually increasing the dose as required. awareenvironmental.com.au...ch-laundry-detergent-use/ We contacted P&G’s customer service for verification, starting with the English-speaking number. At first, the representative said the … measurements were correct. But when we pressed further, a supervisor came on and told us we should actually use 1/5 cup for a medium load. Next we called a Spanish-speaking representative, who added to the confusion by instructing us to use the scoop included with the product. When we explained that there was no scoop, the rep agreed to send us one in the mail. With this scoop, we were able to measure the proper amount of detergent–about 40 grams for a medium load–less than 1/4 cup. That’s nearly half as much detergent as what a consumer will likely use following the current ArielUSA instructions. https://consumerist.com/2011/09/22/how-much-of-pgs-ariel-laundry-detergent-should-you-really-use/ 92 grams is enough for at least one load of laundry, not that it matters. He could have a ton of laundry detergent in bags and it would still be 100% legal.
Offering any defense based on what might be normal amounts of detergent to use is immaterial. The guy spent 41 days in jail in spite of not having any drugs in his car. I'm sure misterwhite would end 41 days in jail being completely understanding about the confusion and apologize to the police officers and prosecution for wasting their time because he had one of hundreds of types of white powdery substances in a bag that he made the unforgivable sin of not labeling. Indeed, a tour of MW's home would prove that MW *never, ever, ever* puts anything into a bottle or bag without expressly labeling it's contents for police eyes to see, JUST IN CASE, there's a raid on his house. He really plays it safe, that MW guy! I was at a lunar eclipse event last month. There was some spiced wine left over, so I poured it into an UNMARKED container and capped it to take home. My god, I had no idea what I opened myself up to!
I couldn't explain why I had 92 grams of laundry detergent in a baggie in my car. Could you? Wait. I could use a good laugh. Put yourself in this guy's situation and tell me why you had 92 grams of laundry detergent in a baggie.
It just goes to show that when you do put a substance into an unmarked bag or bottle, not only should you label it, you should also weigh it so you know exactly how much, in grams, is there.
And unless you want to take the chance of being thrown in jail, you might want to have a believable reason for doing so. Believable reason: You're headed to the laundromat and you also have dirty laundry in the back seat, fabric softener on the floor, and a pocketful of quarters. Not a believable reason: Falling asleep in the KFC parking lot with a beer in the cup holder and marijuana and a white substance in the van and no explanation for any of it.
Take my advice. When you find you've dug yourself into a hole.... stop digging. I suppose your car, if you have one, is right now, completely free of any traces of anything related to anything you've done more than a day ago.
Hey. Why don't you let him explain the laundry detergent? I already asked you (in post #24) to explain it and you refused.
As I said... stop digging. He doesn't have to explain squat. If some cop starts asking all kinds of questions about everything in my car, I'll tell him to take a hike. If he arrests me over laundry detergent, then he and/or the department is on hook for damages. It's as simple as that. But you just refuse to get it. I suppose another load of BS from you will be forthcoming.
Like he could. Look. My point was that if he's going to carry around 92 grams of laundry detergent in an unmarked baggie -- and refuse to explain it -- then he's going to jail if it tests positive. F**k him.
As though an explanation would have kept him from going to jail?
#39. To: Pinguinite (#38)
What would that explanation be?
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestFlorida Man Jailed 41 Days Over 92 Grams of...Laundry Detergent
#2. To: misterwhite (#1)
And how did he explain having 92 grams of laundry detergent in an unmarked bag?
#7. To: Deckard (#2)
I'm guessing you've never done any laundry at a laundromat.
#9. To: misterwhite (#7)
I have, but more than 92 grams worth
#11. To: GrandIsland, misterwhite, Pinguinite, Deckard (#9)
(Edited)
How much laundry detergent should I use?
Here’s a quick quiz: If you use Procter & Gamble’s Ariel USA laundry detergent, should you use 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup or 1/5 cup of detergent for a medium-size load of laundry?
#17. To: hondo68 (#11)
#24. To: Pinguinite (#17)
#27. To: misterwhite (#24)
Put yourself in this guy's situation and tell me why you had 92 grams of laundry detergent in a baggie.
#30. To: Pinguinite (#27)
It just goes to show that when you do put a substance into an unmarked bag or bottle, not only should you label it, you should also weigh it so you know exactly how much, in grams, is there.
#31. To: misterwhite (#30)
#32. To: Pinguinite (#31)
#34. To: misterwhite (#32)
Hey. Why don't you let him explain the laundry detergent? I already asked you (in post #24) to explain it and you refused.
#37. To: Pinguinite (#34)
He doesn't have to explain squat.
#38. To: misterwhite (#37)
Look. My point was that if he's going to carry around 92 grams of laundry detergent in an unmarked baggie -- and refuse to explain it -- then he's going to jail if it tests positive.
Replies to Comment # 38. As though an explanation would have kept him from going to jail?
End Trace Mode for Comment # 38.
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]