Man Nabbed for Pot-Smelling Cash Deposit

Man Nabbed for Pot-Smelling Cash Deposit

apnews.myway.com

The musty smell of a man's money led to his arrest on possible drug charges. The 21-year-old Sturgeon Bay man tried to deposit money smelling of marijuana at a bank here last week, according to a Sturgeon Bay police report obtained by the Door County Advocate.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Is this legal? Just wondering what everyones thoughts are on this story. Is this a good reason to arrest someone? Is this probable cause to search someones home? You tell me.

apnews.myway.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Wow, that seems wrong to me.

From the article:

"The $4,000 in bundled bills did not smell like burned marijuana but had a musty odor of ground sweet leaves, the report said.

The smell was so strong and distinct that a teller put the cash in a plastic bag. Sturgeon Bay police tested it for marijuana, and it came back positive, the report said."

I would hope a good attorney will get this tossed out. From now on I am washing ALL of my money with tide!!

You can be arrested on suspicion, but if there's no evidence, I'm pretty sure the can be no charges. I'm also pretty sure that while it may require brass balls, you can walk into a police station just reeking of it, and while they may arrest you for suspicion, if it's not in your blood, nor on your person, you are free to leave. Would make an interesting wrongful imprisonment lawsuit.

Edit: Holy crap! I totally missed the part that this happened in Sturgeon Bay. I'm only a few miles south in Green Bay, and I'm willing to bet that this guy probably had it in bag of pot before he got there.

[edit on 30-3-2008 by Mekanic]

Originally posted by schism85


Is this legal? Just wondering what everyones thoughts are on this story. Is this a good reason to arrest someone? Is this probable cause to search someones home? You tell me.

apnews.myway.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

The short answer is - assuming all the facts are in the AP piece - no. There is no precedent in law stating that a man may be arrested because his money smells funny.

The realistic answer is yes. And even if it wasn't - they will make it legal. I have found that when it comes to the cannabis issue, the government will do as it pleases (which is to say they will support the pro-corporate/pharma policy as they have been instructed to.)

Added on edit: As long as the local judiciary and DA concur on the 'musty smell' being sufficient to satisfy probable cause - this will stand. Now realize that means - the judge and DA chat for two minutes - both say 'OK' and that's that.

[edit on 30-3-2008 by Maxmars]

Does anyone know how they found bagged pot in his house? Did they have probable cause to search his home, or would they need to obtain a warrant?

reply to post by schism85

The man is being held in the county jail on a probation violation

He was on probation. A probation officer has the right to walk into your residence at any given time without a warrant. Now since this guy possessed cash smelling of an illegal substance, that's all the more reason to do so.

A word to the wise, air out your cash.

Police later found bagged marijuana at the man's home.

Its says the police found it. So assumably the person at the bank called the cops, the cops confronted the man, probably at his home, then busted him at his house. Could this be an acurate scenario?

Oops my bad it also says they got him at the bank. So they got him at the bank, then went to his house? How can they do that?

[edit on 30-3-2008 by schism85]

[edit on 30-3-2008 by schism85]

reply to post by schism85


Damn rats at the bank, thats what happened.
I wish we knew what bank it was, I`d make sure to never do business with them.

What the hell did the teller give a ? that the cash smelled like pot?
Shouldn`t there be bigger issues for people to grapple with instead of trying to be a cop and taking down your own customer over something that possibly has no effect on anyone but the arrested in question?

The bank teller is a straight up hater and society needs to rid this type of mentality or it will bring everyone down.

Go smoke a phat blunt, I couldn`t give 2 ?.
Offer it to my kid and then we got issues.

But for real there are times to mind your own business and don`t try to accelerate yourself by applying the brakes to someone else.

What a loser that bank teller is, what does he think he is so freakin smart or something. Wow, great work Sherlock.

Mod Edit: Do Not Circumvent the Censors. Thank You.

[edit on 1-4-2008 by MemoryShock]

Anyone with more info on this story please post it here. I am curious as to a few details to this story. Thanks

Throw it in the dryer on low gentle with a few dryer sheets and no problem.....from what I have read, that is.....never a good idea to broadcast like that..maybe the guy was so used to the smell that he didn't notice it..

So how did the bank teller even know what pot smells like?

The teller is obviously a hypocrite, someone who has been around pot before enough to remember the smell. Perhaps the teller in question is a dealer and was simply snitching on a competitor?

well thankfully, we got another useless pothead off the streets. hopefully, they give him the chair just for being stupid. yeah, thats right. stupid. but then again, there's pot involved, so its not a surprise.

My guess is he owed someone at that bank FOR SOMETHING. He

got framed.

What a perfect set up, really. After all, you cant call the cops for a sour drug deal.

Originally posted by CoffinFeeder
well thankfully, we got another useless pothead off the streets. hopefully, they give him the chair just for being stupid. yeah, thats right. stupid. but then again, there's pot involved, so its not a surprise.

Yeah, because we all know that pot kills brain cells. Oops...wrong, that's alcohol.

Anyway, I will admit the kid was stupid.

First, you don't deposit a "wad" of cash equalling $4,000. That gives you a money trail....DUH.

Second, you don't store your drug cash WITH your drugs. That's just asking for an "intent to sell" charge.

Third, buy things with your drug money. But not all at once. Don't deposit it in a bank.

Fourth, don't sell drugs to begin with.

I remember a case here where they tried to test a defendants Bills for coc aine residue and 4/5 bills tested positive. Well the defence asked that a courtrooms officers bills be tested and low and behold most of his bills had coc aine residue and the defendant got off because his lawyer proved bills can get contaminated anywhere. If they start using that as legal means to obtain evidence then yea thats a violation of the constitution and common sense.

[so his cash smkelled like pot . so what if you take a stack of tweenty dollar bills and tested them for coc aine a hihg percentage would test positive does that mean i am trafficking no it doesn't

reply to post by CoffinFeeder


Using pot does not make one stupid. It makes one hungry, maybe lazy, but not stupid. Alcohol, on the other hand does. Yet for some reason, alcohol is still legal. Go figure.