Police take $12k of drugs off the streets

The Guthrie Police Department took $12,000 of drugs off the streets, along with two guns, after receiving a phone call from the Guthrie Post Office about a suspicious package Thursday morning.

Guthrie Police took these drugs off the streets along with two pistols on August 30.

A Guthrie detective was called to the post office just before 9 a.m. after postal employees believed a marked USPS package, mailed from California, had an odor inside the box package related to the smell of marijuana.

At the post office, the Guthrie detectives received the package and confirmed the odor relating to the illegal drug, but ask for a drug dog from Oklahoma City to help confirm their suspicion. The K9 made a positive hit and investigators took possession of the package. Now, depending on where someone is living, and if they have a licensed medical marijuana cultivation facility and dispensary, they could get away with delivering marijuana through their own delivery services. For instance this is already happening in some parts of the world, such as Canada (and across some parts of America too) with services similar to this Vancouver weed delivery as an example, that can allow medical marijuana patients to have quanities of marijuana delivered for their personal consumption.

However, according to detectives, a Norman Postal Inspector from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) demanded the package returned to the post office and explained to the police department they did not have authorization to the privileged mail due to federal law to deliver the package.

The Postal Inspector later traveled to Guthrie and delivered the suspicious package to the front porch of the address that it was destined for at 30 Oak Place. Sometime later an unknown person moved the package to 107 Oak Place.

On the USPIS website (https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/) under their Frequently Asked Questions tab it states: First-Class letters and parcels are protected against search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, and, as such, cannot be opened without a search warrant. If there is probable cause to believe the contents of a First-Class letter or parcel violate federal law, Postal Inspectors can obtain a search warrant to open the mailpiece. Other classes of mail do not contain private correspondence, and therefore may be opened without a warrant.

Cedric Smith was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute.

Guthrie News Page attempted several phone calls (877-876-2455) to reach the USPIS, but calls went unanswered on what procedures were used on the suspicious packages and to why the package was still delivered despite the detection of drugs from a K9 dog and Guthrie police investigators.

Guthrie Police received a search warrant for 30 Oak Place and took possession of the delivered package. In the process, officials noticed a similar package was delivered to a nearby home at 107 Oak Place. Again, a warrant was applied for the home.

Police made their way into the home after attempting to get someone to come to the door. Once inside, police saw a black male about to attempt to leave a window in the back room.

Cedric Smith, a Langston student from California, was taken into custody and charged with three counts, including possession with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of public housing, acquire proceeds from drug activity and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

The search of the property found a stolen pistol and another firearm with the serial number scratched off, a felony, along with scales, baggies and drug paraphernalia.

The “hydro” marijuana weighed in at 21.5 ounces (nearly two pounds) and has a street value of $12,000.

Guthrie investigators are continuing to work the case and believe more arrests will be made.