Merry Christmas, $280k in drugs!

[wisco]

Woman finds $280,000 worth of drugs packed with vacuum cleaner - JSOnline

Green Bay - A Green Bay woman found more than just dirt with her refurbished vacuum cleaner she received for Christmas. She found a load of drugs.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports the woman found two pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 2.2 pounds of cocaine shrink wrapped inside the box, after receiving the vacuum from her children. Sheriff's officials estimate the drugs' street value at about $280,000.

Lt. David Poteat says a smuggler likely inserted the drugs in the box before it was shipped from the Juarez, Mexico, area, where it had been reconditioned.

Poteat says no one noticed anything, including the department store where it was purchased, until the woman opened the package.

Authorities don't plan to charge the woman. Sheriff's officials say the store is cooperating with the investigation.

Why would the bolded area even be mentioned... I mean, why would it even be a question to begin with?

[MikeG]

Just for completeness on the story I guess. They always give the age too unless the person is famous.. Usually when a person is found in possession of that much coke and meth, they go to prison for a long time. "it's not mine" seems to be a favorite excuse too.

The press do the same thing for crimes that have a justification (i.e. homeowner shoots robber inside the house and police don't charge). This incident seems to lack the culpable mental state necessary for prosecuting her but the investigation I would suspect starts as "person in possession of narcotics" and progresses from there even if it's quickly obvious she isn't the intended recipient. Not a cop or lawyer or reporter though so YMMV and just my opinion.

I hope they followed through with the investigation before the press got a hold of it. If the shippers didn't know where the drugs went, they do now.