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InvisibleveggieM

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,501
[FL] Charges dropped in big fentanyl case, ended up testing negative for drugs * 1
    #28489633 - 10/02/23 05:58 AM (3 months, 24 days ago)

Charges dropped in big fentanyl case in St. Lucie County.
October 2, 2023 - TCPalm

ST. LUCIE COUNTY − In announcing drug busts this summer involving four smoke shops, Sheriff Ken Mascara said the multiple pounds of fentanyl seized were enough to kill everyone on the Treasure Coast.

But Assistant State Attorney Robert Stone in a recent interview said 2.75 pounds of fentanyl −an extremely powerful synthetic opioid linked to many deaths − in the case at Smoking Buds Smoke Shop on South U.S. 1, ended up not testing positive for drugs. 

Asked about the fentanyl, more than 10 pounds of cocaine, and other substances seized in the July 14 incident at Smoking Buds Smoke Shop, Stone said sheriff’s officials sent the items to a lab and “they contacted me and let me know that everything came back not as drugs.”

According to search warrant inventory records, the multiple-pound quantities of alleged fentanyl and alleged cocaine tested positive as drugs in field tests, however.

In a briefing days after the raids, Mascara announced the conclusion of an investigation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of “a very large scale drug distribution network with the arrest of seven suspects operating out of four smoke shops here in St. Lucie County.”

The fentanyl, cocaine and majority of the alleged illegal mushrooms turned up at Smoking Buds Smoke Shop in the 3200 block of South U.S. 1, just south of Edwards Road, officials said.

At the time, Mascara said the fentanyl seized during the probe “could have killed every person in St. Lucie County, Martin County and Indian River County.” 

In a Sept. 15 court filing, Stone dropped five felony charges related to cocaine, fentanyl, psilocybin — the hallucinogenic drug in “shrooms” — and marijuana regarding the Smoking Buds Smoke Shop owner. 

Mascara, however, said the case is not over.

He said the fentanyl was sent to a federal DEA lab to expedite the results, as opposed to a state laboratory, such as the regional crime laboratory in Fort Pierce.

He said “the elements of the crime at a federal level versus a state level” are different.

“The threshold for DEA is all of the drug has to test positive, so if we had 2.75 pounds of what we suspect is fentanyl, all 2.75 pounds must test positive,” Mascara said. “At a state level, that is not true. It's fentanyl contained within the 2.75 pounds.”

Mascara said investigators plan to get the drugs back and retest them at the regional crime lab.

This could result in charges returning.

“With the reports we have out now, I cannot proceed on charges, because I don't have a good faith at this point, as we have a lab that's saying that they're not drugs,” Stone said. “With filing on cases, you're swearing to the fact that it's drugs and right now, we don't have that.”

Stone said federal officials provide assistance in many cases, which is beneficial.

“But at the same time, federal courts and state courts have different laws, different regulations and different ways of doing things so sometimes that's what happens,” Stone said. “But it doesn't necessarily mean it's the end of this case … If things change, we will do what we need to do, and that's kind of where we're at right now.”

Mascara said based on the federal results, the fentanyl was “very cut,” or mixed with something else.

Stone said the alleged psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana weren’t lab tested.

“I want to make sure that since the other came back as not drugs, I don't want to file on those charges until for sure I have a report telling me that is, in fact, marijuana and not a hemp or CBD, and the fact that the psilocybin comes back positive psilocybin,” Stone said.

The Smoking Buds Smoke Shop owner still faces a charge related to cocaine stemming from an alleged drug deal two days before the July 14 raid, records show. He was on federal probation at the time, according to the sheriff’s office.

Mauricio Padilla, attorney for the Smoking Buds Smoke Shop owner, said he thought the field tests used were inaccurate. 

“It wasn't fentanyl at all,” Padilla said. “It wasn’t cocaine at all.”

He said additional scrutiny should be afforded given the circumstances and type of items sold in such places. 

“If you are in a smoke shop, where legal chemicals are sold, such as lidocaine, benzocaine and other white powder substances that are legally sold … I think you owe the community a higher sense of due diligence, where you're going to properly scrutinize these chemicals,” Padilla said.


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Invisibledurian_2008
Cornucopian Eating an Elephant
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Registered: 04/02/08
Posts: 16,666
Loc: Raccoon City
Re: [FL] Charges dropped in big fentanyl case, ended up testing negative for drugs [Re: veggie]
    #28490958 - 10/03/23 12:45 PM (3 months, 23 days ago)

There was an incorrect lane change, a suspicious bulge in your pocket, the sticker was peeling, and he smelled something. :awesomenod:

Nevermind. Have a nice day.


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OfflineDave Bowman
Albert Hoffmans Apprentice
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Folding@home Statistics
Registered: 08/30/07
Posts: 2,104
Loc: Your Imagination
Last seen: 3 months, 22 days
Re: [FL] Charges dropped in big fentanyl case, ended up testing negative for drugs [Re: veggie]
    #28492213 - 10/04/23 04:56 PM (3 months, 22 days ago)

Quote:

veggie said:

“If you are in a smoke shop, where legal chemicals are sold, such as lidocaine, benzocaine and other white powder substances that are legally sold … I think you owe the community a higher sense of due diligence, where you're going to properly scrutinize these chemicals,” Padilla said.




Why would a smoke shop need to legitimately sell lidocaine other than to use as a cutting agent for cocaine sales?


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