An Uber driver in Florida is facing charges after he tried to sell mushrooms and LSD to undercover narcotics investigators attending a conference, according to a news release.
In August, Walton County held the Florida Narcotics Officers’ Association Annual Conference in Miramar Beach.
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Deputies in the panhandle county said the Uber driver, identified as 52-year-old John Alcott, smelled like marijuana when detectives from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office got into his vehicle.
According to the release, when they began chatting with Alcott, he told them he had Psilocybin mushrooms for sale. Alcott opened his glove compartment revealing a large bag of mushrooms, which the detectives declined.
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The detectives contacted the Walton County Sheriff’s Office who were also attending the conference. A plan was developed to conduct an undercover purchase from Alcott the following day.
Deputies said during the drug transaction, Alcott sold investigators 134 grams of Psilocybin mushrooms, 10 Psilocybin mushroom capsules, and 12 doses of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) for $1,000. During the purchase, Alcott told detectives he would be willing to mail a supply as well.
In cooperation with WCSO, the CCSO detectives remained in contact with Alcott over the next several months, according to the release.
The investigation revealed Alcott’s Uber services took him from Destin to Panama City Beach. They told Alcott they would be coming back to the Miramar Beach area for a vacation in February and would want to purchase more drugs.
On Wednesday, Walton County Sheriff’s investigators had the undercover CCSO detective reach out to Alcott to tell him they were in the area. They arranged to buy more than a quarter pound of mushrooms and 200 doses of LSD in exchange for $5,000, the release states.
While under surveillance, a deputy stopped Alcott’s vehicle near the arranged meeting place and placed him under arrest for warrants stemming from the first undercover purchase.
While searching Alcott’s vehicle, deputies found the mushrooms and LSD intended for sale to the undercover detective.
“While these types of cases aren’t the primary focus of our VICE/Narcotics investigations, this one kind of came to us,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “He obviously makes it a habit to sell while driving an Uber and that’s pretty alarming considering how teenagers and young adults frequently use driving services in the area.”
Alcott was booked into the Walton County Jail and faces two counts of selling a hallucinogen (mushrooms and LSD), trafficking in LSD, possession of a hallucinogen with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of using a two-way communication device in the commission of a felony.
He was issued a $15,000 bond and released the following day, according to the release.