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veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN]
#5301331 - 02/14/06 10:57 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges Februaru 14, 2006 - herald-citizen.com
COOKEVILLE -- A package which arrived in Cookeville by Fed Ex delivery last week got a Baxter man arrested, police said.
Allegedly, the package contained over five pounds of illegal drugs, namely psilocybin, or mushrooms that may be used for their psychedelic effects.
Greg Newton, 27, of Baxter Road, Baxter, is charged with possession of drugs for resale in the case, according to a warrant taken by 13th District Drug Task Force Director Steve Randall.
According to that warrant, the package was sent here from Eugene, Oregon, to be delivered to Newton.
But before the delivery was made, police entered the picture.
According to Cookeville Police Capt. Nathan Honeycutt, the Drug Task Force and the TBI had been conducting an investigation for about a month before the delivery was to be made on Feb. 7.
"They asked for the assistance of one of our trained dogs, and we sent Officer Craig Wilkerson and K-9 Officer Boomer, who has been in service here for several years and has done a great job," Capt. Honeycutt said.
Working with DTF agents and TBI agents, Officer Wilkerson took Boomer to a designated location for purposes of searching a Fed Ex delivery truck.
"The dog indicated on a shelf in the truck on one package, and that package contained the mushrooms," Capt. Honeycutt said.
The package was addressed to Newton, and though officers will not reveal much about the case, the warrant indicates that the package was actually delivered to Newton during the investigation.
Drug Task Force agents obtained a search warrant to open the package "prior to the package being delivered to Mr. Newton," the warrant says.
Putnam Sheriff's Narcotics Investigator J.R. Scott served the possession of drugs for resale warrant on Newton after he was brought to the Putnam County jail.
Mushrooms, or 'shrooms,' as they are sometimes called, of the type confiscated in this case are a Schedule I controlled substance, Capt. Honeycutt said.
"This is a hallucinogen," he said.
The investigation into the case is not over, Honeycutt said.
He declined to give further details, but presumably, a portion of the investigation is taking place in Oregon.
Newton is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on Feb. 27.
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SuperD
Cacti junky


Registered: 10/05/03
Posts: 6,648
Loc: The bridgesii bridge
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: veggie]
#5301922 - 02/15/06 02:00 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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<<"The dog indicated on a shelf in the truck on one package, and that package contained the mushrooms,">>
Safety & Security people need to see this. I can't count the times I've seen people ask whether or not <some> drug dogs can be trained to detect mushrooms.
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   D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin. Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade
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Mezcal
Registered: 08/11/05
Posts: 1,980
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: SuperD]
#5302250 - 02/15/06 06:26 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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"K-9 Officer Boomer"
What do you think the likelihood that this dog is trained to smell for cubensis?
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Mezcal]
#5302256 - 02/15/06 06:28 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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> What do you think the likelihood that this dog is trained to smell for cubensis?
About the same as the likelihood that the dog is trained to fly the space shuttle.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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kyonshibeta
Stranger

Registered: 02/02/06
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Seuss]
#5302281 - 02/15/06 06:41 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I'm with Seuss, even if he is being a bit cynical. It take months to train a dog to locate a controlled substance, explosive or whathaveyou. Why would they spend that much time training the dog to find something he'd probably never encounter in quantity, esp. when police get MUCH bugger props when they snag someone for coke or H. I've NEVER heard of a drug dog trained to find mushrooms. The only way I can think of a dog finding shrooms is if he was given some shrooms to as a track scent THAT DAY (most likely a bloodhound, not a Shepard) then sniffed around for them in a known location.
If I was that guys lawyer I'd demand to see that dogs training records. If he wasn't trained specifically for shroom detection, the evidence and warrant are inadmissible.
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demiu5
humans, lol


Registered: 08/18/05
Posts: 43,948
Loc: the popcorn stadium
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: kyonshibeta]
#5302374 - 02/15/06 08:23 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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You gotta keep in mind, it said they had been following this investigation.
Quote:
According to Cookeville Police Capt. Nathan Honeycutt, the Drug Task Force and the TBI had been conducting an investigation for about a month before the delivery was to be made on Feb. 7.
So they knew it was coming at some point I would suppose. They may have borrowed a dog from another precint or they may have actually had this one trained prior to or as a result of this case.
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG

Registered: 01/07/04
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: demiu5]
#5302423 - 02/15/06 09:01 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Right, they knew it was coming and acquired the right dog for the task. Obviously most dogs don't do it, but it isn't odd to consider that there might be a few out there, especially if it was done in eugene.
-------------------- You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides

Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: veggie]
#5303006 - 02/15/06 12:35 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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This is local news to me, and I must say it's pretty fucked up all the way around. I get the sinking feeling they're gonna hang that poor guy.
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Boom
just a tester

Registered: 06/16/04
Posts: 11,252
Loc: Cypress Creek
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Seuss]
#5303097 - 02/15/06 01:04 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Seuss said: > What do you think the likelihood that this dog is trained to smell for cubensis?
About the same as the likelihood that the dog is trained to fly the space shuttle.
Best response ever!
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demiu5
humans, lol


Registered: 08/18/05
Posts: 43,948
Loc: the popcorn stadium
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Le_Canard]
#5303100 - 02/15/06 01:05 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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this is the second bust in cookeville within the last month or two involving mushrooms. The first was the 4 college kids who were growing all sorts of things, and now this. I wonder if they're gonna get tougher on it now.
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides

Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: demiu5]
#5303231 - 02/15/06 01:42 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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'Shrooms certainly seem to be on their radar nowadays, so I'm glad I don't grow. What irks me is that there's plenty of crack and meth to be had around here, but I haven't heard about a bust of those things lately.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: veggie]
#5305459 - 02/16/06 03:21 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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A couple of things to consider...
1) There may have been other substances in the box other than mushrooms that the dog hit upon. The story says "namely mushrooms", which I originally read to mean "mostly mushrooms", not exclusively mushrooms.
2) If the person that was putting the package together had been smoking cannabis, or handling cannabis, then the smell of that would have transfered from them to the box.
3) Police dogs are typically trained to "hit" on command.
4) When trying to protect an informant or the use of illegal search tactics, the police will often fabricate a story for the news. It is not illegal for police to lie.
5) I have yet to hear of a reliable case in which a dog was able to differentiate between types of mushrooms. Not to say that they can't, I donno...
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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CaptainKirk

Registered: 07/15/05
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Loc: gone
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Seuss]
#5305640 - 02/16/06 06:23 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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2 words...vaccuum sealer ..best invention ever..works for nugs as well as shrooms
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides

Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Seuss]
#5308015 - 02/16/06 05:49 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Seuss said: It is not illegal for police to lie.
Technically it is, but they will if they can get away with it.
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG

Registered: 01/07/04
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Le_Canard]
#5308515 - 02/16/06 08:06 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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It's illegal? What's the law? Are you sure you're not thinking of Superman?
-------------------- You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides

Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Koala Koolio]
#5308954 - 02/16/06 09:58 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Well, on their police reports and in open court. But like I said, if they can get away with it, they will. I've had cops lie their asses off in open court.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 2 months, 20 days
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Re: Mushrooms via Fed Ex leads to drug charges [TN] [Re: Le_Canard]
#5309506 - 02/17/06 04:28 AM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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> It's illegal? What's the law?
It is illegal for them to commit perjury, but it is not illegal for them to lie. These are two very different things. Police are actually trained how to lie in order to get suspects to self-incriminate. Again, not illegal. However, if an LEO lies on an affidavit or under oath, then it is perjury, which is illegal. (I'm no lawyer, this is from a layman's perspective...)
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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