They’ll ‘Woo’ You – Selling Fake Drugs in Nashville

After covering Jeremy Austin Bowden last year, who couldn’t seem to stop selling fake/counterfeit drugs in Nashville, we were curious just how many others had been arrested for the same. Here’s some of what we found. Note that while everyone below was charged with selling counterfeit controlled substances, many pleaded down to a lesser charge, or had the particular charge dismissed as part of a larger plea bargain.

Justin Exum

During an interaction with MNPD, Exum was asked if he had anything on his person and he said I have a plastic baggie in my pocket that has brown sugar in it. According to the officer: I asked him if I could get it and he said yes telling me it was in his left pocket. I read him Miranda and then asked him what he had planned on doing with the brown sugar I recovered from his pocket. He stated he had planned to use it to “woo” (sell fake counterfeit controlled substance) someone last night and forgot he had it in his pocket. Defendant was taken into custody for the fake controlled substance he planned to sell as heroin. Field test was negative for heroin.

Victor Osborne

Osborne was stopped while driving with stolen plates. A search of the vehicle prior to towing it revealed two small bags of a white powdery substance packaged to look like narcotics as well as a larger bag of the white powdery substance. A field test of the substance yielded no positive indicators for narcotics. Osborne stated the substance was baking soda. The approximate weight of the substance was 20 grams. He was taken into custody and transported him to Davidson County booking for possession of counterfeit controlled substance. REF GOPD 18-00715

Joshua Bennett

Bennett admitted during a traffic stop that he had some narcotics that he hid in his underwear. Retrieved was a pipe, marijuana, a plastic baggie containing a light brown powdery substance, five orange pills, a container with a thick brownish liquid, and a syringe. When asked about the brown powder, which tested negative for heroin, Bennett stated it was a mix of chili powder and BC Powder, so he could rip off people, who would believe it was heroin.

Anthony Dean

During a search incident to a traffic stop, Dean’s vehicle was searched, and located inside was a digital scale which had a white powdery substance on it, along with packaging material and 43 grams of a white powdery substance inside of a clear plastic bag. Mr. Dean stated that the 43 grams of white powdery substance was baking soda not cocaine. The officer asked Mr. Dean what did he do with the “soft” (street word for cocaine) that was on the scale and he stated he used it all 30 minutes prior to being pulled over while he was at the Americas Best Value Inn and Suites Hotel. The officer then asked Mr. Dean why was he riding around with a bag of baking soda and he stated “you know” I said you know what? Are you selling “dummies” (fake cocaine) and he said yes, and that he uses the baking soda for other reasons he did not name. This incident was recorded on my department issued body camera and Mr. Dean was recorded when he stated several times that he sells the baking soda as cocaine. The white powdery substance was field tested using a cocaine swab, and it was negative.

Amanda Hopkins

Ms. Hopkins sold cigarette ashes, presented as heroin, to undercover Detectives for the price of 40 dollars. Detectives took Ms. Hopkins into custody and located .6 grams of heroin in a “hide a can”, .5 grams of crack cocaine in her purse along with 3 Suboxone strips, and 6 grams of marijuana. Detectives also located 4 digital scales and a crack pipe. Ms. Hopkins was also found to be in possession of 40 dollars in buy money. Ms. Hopkins stated that Ms. Gibson entered the room she gave her 40 dollars and pulled out a crack rock and smoked it with her.

Jermarcus Wallace

Police were walking on Broadway when the defendant (Jermarcus Wallace) engaged undercover officers. The defendant stated he could supply officers with green. When police asked the defendant how far $100.00 would go; he stated $100.00 would get a quarter of loud. Undercover officers followed the defendant into the alley next to Savannah’s Candy Kitchen located at 310 Broadway. The defendant pulled out two small bags of a white powdery substance and a bag of marijuana. The defendant stated he would sell it to police in exchange for $160.00 United States currency. The powdery substance did not field test positive for cocaine base. The two bags of powder weighed 5.0 grams and the marijuana weighed 5.1 grams. The defendant was taken into custody without incident.

Willie Scott

HCSU Detectives were conducting parking lot surveillance at 5769 Old Hickory Blvd. While conducting surveillance were approached by the defendant and negotiated a half gram of meth for $60. The defendant then left our vehicle and returned a few minutes later. The defendant exchanged a plastic baggie containing a white crystal substance consistent with crystal meth with my $60. Detectives made contact with the defendant to take him into custody and the defendant pushed and attempted to pulled away from officers multiple times in an attempt to flee. The substance did not field test for meth and the defendant admitted that it was fake dope.

William “Tommy” West

Tommy West sold a white rock substance to a reliable confidential informant at a location in Davidson County for an amount of police buy money. This substance was consistent with what the CI knows to be methamphetamine. The CI has conducted narcotic buys for methamphetamine in the past and is familiar with the drug from prior exposure. Upon handing the substance over to police, it looked similar to what your affiant knows to be methamphetamine, however it did not field test positive for methamphetamine.

Chase Thomas

Detectives made contact with the defendant through an online website which has a forum to coordinate narcotics transactions between users. The defendant private messaged his phone number and I contacted him via text message. A transaction for 1 gram of heroin was arranged for $200.00. The defendant arranged for the transaction to take place at Walgreens at 3010 West End Avenue. I drove to the parking lot of the location and called the defendant. He stated he was in a black SUV in the back of the location and he would drive to the parking lot to meet me. He stated he had his children in the vehicle with him, so he needed to hurry. He stated he would make the transaction with me through my driver’s side window. He handed me a white folded piece of paper and I handed him the previously photocopied $200.00. As he was at my window, I began un-wrapping the paper to check the contents. He became extremely nervous and backed away. I opened the paper and saw that it was not heroin. The paper concealed a fine, white powder consistent with the appearance of BC Powder or powdered sugar. I alerted other detectives at the location and the defendant was taken into custody. Under Miranda, the defendant stated he has done this type of fake drug transaction before and appeared to have no remorse because he stated it didn’t matter since the substance really wasn’t heroin.

Christopher Casey

At Crazytown, on Broadway), an undercover informant was conducting a buy after Casey attempted to sell heroin and/or cocaine. Casey exchanged a small black baggie with a white substance in it, in exchange for $120 cash. The substance tested negative for both heroin and cocaine, and appeared to be sheetrock, which was present in the alley where Casey was previously.

Christopher Evans

At the Vista Inn, Christopher Evans was attempting to sell crystal meth. MNPD approached Evans, and got consent to search his person, finding a bottle of McCormick Sea Salt in his right front pocket. Located in his bag was a plastic bag containing a white crystal like substance that appeared to be crystal meth, and a second wrapped paper had 2.5g written on it, and also contained the same substance. Evans admitted he was just sea salt, which he was trying to sell as meth “as a joke” for a way to support his very real meth addiction.

David Benjamin

While responding to a tip of subjects in an abandoned house, MNPD located David Benjamin inside and conducted a search of his person. Located were two small baggies containing an off-white powdery substance, appearing to be either cocaine or heroin. When Benjamin was told the substance was about to be tested, he admitted “it’s drywall, i was going to sell it”. Field test was negative for any controlled substance.