Man Says Heroin Syringe Was for Giving Chickens Vitamins

Deputies working in the Marion County Jail had an interesting encounter when they processed a 53-year-old man arrested for failing to appear in court after driving with a suspended license. While searching the man, deputies at the Florida detection facility asked him to remove his prosthetic leg.

Although reluctant, the man eventually complied. Inside the leg, deputies found a syringe. The man explained that he used the syringe to inject chickens with vitamins. After authorities conducted a field test on the substance inside the syringe, they deemed it to be heroin. He then stated that he used morphine and methamphetamine, but the needle had not been used for heroin.

The discovery of the heroin syringe in his prosthetic leg added to his criminal charges. Authorities charged him with possession of drug paraphernalia and smuggling drugs into a jail.

When police accuse a person of using drugs, they often impose multiple drug charges. A criminal defense attorney could explain to a person what all of the charges mean and what the penalties might be. To protect the person’s rights, an attorney might try to get some charges dropped or reduced by questioning weak evidence. Violations of constitutional rights, such as an unlawful search, could enable an attorney to file a motion to exclude the evidence that was ultimately seized. An attorney could also help the defendant understand court procedures and make a choice between accepting a plea bargain or going to trial. If a plea deal is offered, an attorney could describe the pros and cons of the bargain before the defendant accepts or rejects it.

Source: Click Orlando, “Man used fake leg to try to smuggle heroin into jail, deputies say“, Daniel Dahm, Aug. 25, 2017