Bernard: NC Police Make Huge Drug Bust, Take 13 Lbs of Sugar Off the Street

[Viper 12112]

Perhaps it's time to stop arresting people because of unreliable field tests?

 

https://reason.com/blog/2018/08/30/nc-fentanyl-bust-lab-test-sugar

Quote

Huge North Carolina Fentanyl Bust Turns Out To Be 13 Pounds of Sugar

The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office made a mistake.

Zuri Davis|Aug. 30, 2018 10:45 am

New Hanover County Sheriff's Office

 

In July, New Hanover County Sheriff's Office (NHCSO) made a big fuss about a huge fentanyl bust.

Sheriff Ed McMahon proudly boasted "one of the largest seizures in the state" after the NHCSO's Gang Task Force seized an estimated $2 million worth of 'the deadly opioid fentanyl' during a raid. Three Wilmington residents were arrested as a result. "When you think about this poison—this fentanyl—one grain can kill you," McMahon said. "Our detectives are having to gear up with all this safety equipment before we go in. Once they get in, if we find something—any kind of drugs that we think may be fentanyl—we stop, we have to get our CSI team to come in and we test that in a lab now under special conditions. So we do all that, it makes it that much more dangerous for our local law enforcement officers."

Months after McMahon made his alarming statements, Lt. Jerry Brewer announced that a private lab found the "fentanyl" was actually "a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates." In other words: sugar.

 

The false positive came from a field test kit used by CSI in the bust. The field test kit was invented and administered by Scott Company Drug Testing, which was founded by a retired DEA agent and forensic chemist. According to its website, the field test kit uses "reagents that have held up in court since 1978." The company also assures the integrity of officers and their investigations. Despite this promise, Brewer confirmed that it was in fact possible for the field test kit to make false identifications of fentanyl, as it had in this case.

In a four-page release to WECT, the company said, "Under certain circumstances, sugar substances can mimic a false positive result." The company also stated that it would be providing more training about the nature of "presumptive tests," on which the kit relies, and confirmatory tests, which uses additional measures to make conclusions about a substance.

This is not the first time a false positive in a field test kit led to a drug arrest. A 65-year-old retiree, Daniel Rushing, was awarded $37,500 from the city of Orlando, Florida, after being pulled over in a traffic stop by police. An officer used a field test kit to test the white substance present in his vehicle. After officers first tried to identify the substance as crack cocaine, they eventually arrested Rushing for the possession of methamphetamine "with a weapon," despite the fact he legally possessed a concealed carry in his vehicle. A lab test later revealed that the suspicious white substance was glaze from the doughnuts Rushing ate in his vehicle.

Photo Credit: New Hanover County Sheriff's Office

Additional pictures of the bust below

 

[High Plains Drifter 11054]

Quote

"Our detectives are having to gear up with all this safety equipment before we go in. Once they get in, if we find something—any kind of drugs that we think may be fentanyl—we stop, we have to get our CSI team to come in and we test that in a lab now under special conditions. So we do all that, it makes it that much more dangerous for our local law enforcement officers."

To be fair, sugar is a danger to fat ass cops.

[formermav43 4606]

[IDIOTsavant 8505]

54 minutes ago, Viper said:

This is not the first time a false positive in a field test kit led to a drug arrest. A 65-year-old retiree, Daniel Rushing, was awarded $37,500 from the city of Orlando, Florida, after being pulled over in a traffic stop by police. An officer used a field test kit to test the white substance present in his vehicle. After officers first tried to identify the substance as crack cocaine, they eventually arrested Rushing for the possession of methamphetamine "with a weapon," despite the fact he legally possessed a concealed carry in his vehicle. A lab test later revealed that the suspicious white substance was glaze from the doughnuts Rushing ate in his vehicle.

 

Are none of our childhood stereotypes sacred?

[You don't know me 1161]

" Sheriff Ed McMahon proudly boasted "one of the largest seizures in the state" after the NHCSO's Gang Task Force seized an estimated $2 million worth of 'the deadly opioid fentanyl' during a raid. "

Hiyoooooooooo!

[Zepol87 9198]

What fucking morons

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

Good luck getting your seized property back, son.

[DigglerontheHoof 21261]

Heroes!!!!

[Newdoc 3455]

Well to be fair, sugar does kill more Americans than drugs. Not per capita but...

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

42 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Good luck getting your seized property back, son.

Go Fund Me for Vic and Zepol to replace their bait?

[South Austin 52638]

Kaffee: It was oregano, Dave. It was ten dollars' worth of oregano. 

Lieutenant Dave Spradling: Yeah, but your client thought it was marijuana. 

Kaffee: My client's a moron. That's not against the law.

[PilotsError 2325]

Yeah I wonder how many are/have been in jail because of false field tests.  All cops know they're unreliable but use them because they're all pieces of shit.

[SpiralOut 1818]

Always love the inflated numbers cops give for their drug busts.

"We raided this guy's house and found three marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $5 million bucks!  We're obviously doing a phenomenal job protecting this community!  So, please give us more money so we can buy more armored vehicles and tacti-cool gear so we can look like the Navy Seals we envy!"

[Bill Lumbergh 7187]

[Schulz2.0 29020]

They did have heroin though...

https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/08/29/2m-worth-of-fentanyl-seized-in-bust-turns-out-to-be-sugar-lab-finds/

[Pato del Muerto 52638]

LOL at the way the cop describes fentanyl. 

One grain will kill you?  Poison?

talk about hyperbole to make yourself appear more courageous. 

[Nolacycling 893]

2 hours ago, SpiralOut said:

Always love the inflated numbers cops give for their drug busts.

"We raided this guy's house and found three marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $5 million bucks!  We're obviously doing a phenomenal job protecting this community!  So, please give us more money so we can buy more armored vehicles and tacti-cool gear so we can look like the Navy Seals we envy!"

Not sure if still true, but there was a time where they would break the weight down to how many joints at x value were confiscated. Street price and all

[Texas_Rocks 347]

Another PD clown show. I also found it funny that they initially identified sugar coating flakes from a donut as crack. In their world that’s probably a pretty good comparison.

[Texas_Rocks 347]

Another PD clown show. I also found it funny that they initially identified sugar coating flakes from a donut as crack. In their world that’s probably a pretty good comparison.

[Eddyline 116]

4 hours ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Good luck getting your seized property back, son.

Amen to that.  Have no idea how civil forfeiture laws could possibly be upheld by any reasonable court...

[SpiralOut 1818]

1 hour ago, Eddyline said:

Amen to that.  Have no idea how civil forfeiture laws could possibly be upheld by any reasonable court...

I think I recall reading that in the past year or two police have finally crossed over to taking more from the American public through civil forfeiture than thieves steal.

[futureman 22559]

spread it on!

[Eddyline 116]

2 hours ago, SpiralOut said:

I think I recall reading that in the past year or two police have finally crossed over to taking more from the American public through civil forfeiture than thieves steal.

Geez. This country is becoming another banana republic. No CR.

[Beau Vine 54471]

9 hours ago, You don't know me said:

" Sheriff Ed McMahon proudly boasted "one of the largest seizures in the state" after the NHCSO's Gang Task Force seized an estimated $2 million worth of 'the deadly opioid fentanyl' during a raid. "

Hiyoooooooooo!

Spewed my drink.  This deserves more love.  

[formermav43 4606]

It seems my Johnny Carson reference was too subtle.

[RDCanecutter 26480]

Y'all laugh, but everybody who ever used drugs probably had a prior history of ingesting sugar.

[WhatTheBuck 28814]

At little glucose for comfort, if you will. 

[RDCanecutter 26480]

Did they mention the "street value"?

[Viper 12112]

10 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

Did they mention the "street value"?

Sheriff Ed McMahon proudly boasted "one of the largest seizures in the state" after the NHCSO's Gang Task Force seized an estimated $2 million worth of 'the deadly opioid fentanyl' during a raid. 

 

Actual "street value" about $7 

Edited August 31, 2018 by Viper

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3861]

18 minutes ago, Viper said:

Sheriff Ed McMahon proudly boasted "one of the largest seizures in the state" after the NHCSO's Gang Task Force seized an estimated $2 million worth of 'the deadly opioid fentanyl' during a raid. 

 

Actual "street value" about $7 

What a sale!

[High Plains Drifter 11054]

You guys laugh, but sugar kills more than fentanyl.

[Jkwellborn 6750]

Was it pure cane?

[Mojo Hand 4580]

Did Ed hold up a giant novelty check for the street value of the drugs?