A Texas man has cleared a drug possession charge, even though authorities mistook cat litter left in his car for methamphetamine.
Ross LeBeau was arrested last month after pleading guilty to a traffic violation and admitting to having marijuana in his vehicle, and was fingerprinted and had his mug shot taken.
Police, however, didn’t seem to be all that interested in the green substance, as field tests of a substance found in a sock in LeBeau’s car tested positive for methamphetamine.
Ross LeBeau declared on social media, and in the international media, that the lawsuit had been dropped. Photo: Provided
The beleaguered 24-year-old was charged with possession of 200 grams of a controlled substance in a major bust for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, which said in a statement that the bust “may have prevented children and loved ones from getting their hands on drugs.”
In the end, all they discovered was what was keeping LeBeau’s windshield from fogging up.
LeBeau told KTRK that her father would put cat litter in socks and leave them in the car to keep the windows from fogging up.
LeBeau’s lawyer, George Rule, blamed the methods used to test the scene for suspected drugs, not police incompetence.
“Ultimately, we may need to reevaluate whether budget cuts have caused our testing equipment to deteriorate,” Reul said.
Still, LeBeau said he was seeking an apology to clear his name after all charges related to his arrest were dismissed.
In their defense, people at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office claim that LeBeau told them he had no idea what was in the suspect’s socks.
Ross LeBeau enjoys meeting police officers in New York City. Photo: Facebook
“The drugs were recovered and during an inventory of the vehicle, a substance was discovered inside the vehicle wrapped in a sock,” the office said in a statement.
“Mr. LeBeau was questioned about the contents and stated that at the time he had no idea what it was,” the statement said.
“Officers followed proper procedure and tested the substance on two separate occasions at the scene, which tested positive for methamphetamine at the scene, and they notified the District Attorney’s Office, which accepted the charge of possession of 200 grams of a controlled substance and Mr. LeBeau was released on bond.”
“During the investigation, LeBeau was unable to identify the substance and after his release, he suggested on social media that the substance was cat litter that he had stored in a sock in his vehicle.”
Today’s Top News – January 11th
