Police accuse head of anti-drug program of selling drugs at Starbucks

[Liberal_in_LA]

Source: L A times

4:16 PM | June 12, 2009

Redondo Beach police have arrested the founder of a Marina del Rey drug and alcohol abuse prevention group on narcotics charges.

Kendall Craig Farris was arrested Thursday at 3:40 p.m. at a Starbucks in El Segundo after narcotics officers set up the drug buy over the phone. Farris, who arrived by taxi, was given an envelope containing $480 by an undercover officer in exchange for methamphetamine and ecstasy tablets, according to police.

The drugs turned out to be fake. He was arraigned Friday on charges of selling a substance he alleged was drugs.

Farris, according to his website, is the founder of the Over the Wall Foundation and a recovering alcoholic and addict.

His mission, he says, is "to help youth, schools and families prevent drug and alcohol abuse before it starts, and intervene in any drug abuse which may already have begun."

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/police-accuse-head-of-antidrug-program-of-selling-drugs-at-starbucks.html

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Selling fake drugs seems like a good way to keep people off them.

:eyes:


I wonder how stiff the penalty is for such a crime? Probably not as bad as the real thing (not counting getting killed by the people you cheat).

[Ian David]

9. Homeopathic Meth? n/t

[truthisfreedom]

2. Novel business, but it seems a bit risky.

[primavera]

27. Probably the only way to get funding for ngos these days

[rasputin1952]

3. So, this individual sold them nothing...

but still gets busted?

Where is the "Justice" in that?

[droidamus2]

4. Wouldn't surprise me

If that law came about because sometime in the past the police did a sting on somebody thought they had caught them with a big stash and it turned out to be nothing. The cops and DA got really embarrassed and pushed to have a law that said if you say it's drugs then it doesn't matter if it really isn't drugs. I've always thought this is a pretty stupid law. If you catch them with drugs fine bust them but if they aren't really selling drugs (fake stuff) get them on fraud or something.

[rasputin1952]

6. Yep, I think that's a pretty good assessment...

AFAIC, the police have far too much power now, and some of the laws that have been passed do nothing to combat crime, but rather harass people to the point of turning criminals into what are normally decent people.

RICO, the Patriot Act and a host of local laws are just plain ways of getting money from people and are abused at every turn. The latest in my area is to add "Terroristic Threats" to anything even remotely against the laws of the community.It is such a broad charge, anything can go under it, and get someone an increased jail term. I find it noxious and anything but "Law and Order". There are times when laws and ordinances are passed and I think the citizens ought to arrest and try the "lawmakers" as terrorists.

The part of "Law and Order", the R's helped pass many of these atrocious laws, and they sit back and then say these laws "don't apply to us"...:grr:

[jmowreader]

22. The crime is "misrepresentation of a substance as a controlled substance"

It's illegal for quite a few reasons, not least of which is people who do this shit get killed by the people they rip off.

Another reason is that some of these fake-dope sellers will sell you rat poison or something. Rat poison is completely legal, but if I call it heroin you're going to try to shove it and wind up dead.

I think it's a great law.

[AsahinaKimi]

5. So.. the most stimulating thing he had...

Was a cup of Starbucks coffee??

[rasputin1952]

7. Yep...and for that, he gets a drug charge...

:eyes:

[AsahinaKimi]

8. damn...

So its a good thing he didn't buy a Danish!

[rasputin1952]

11. At that point, the man would have been called a "Socialist!"...

and he'd be looking at Life!...;)

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

25. Probably better than getting killed by selling fake drugs to the wrong person.

[digidigido]

10. You know, I'm as liberal as anyone here, but if you don't see the abject hypocrisy of this

then you are a bunch of self serving sanctimonious ex hippies, and you deserve the world you get

[tabasco]

16. WTF?

:wtf:

[Regret My New Name]

26. dubya-tee-eff too.

[undeterred]

12. I heard they were selling Oatmeal and coffee for $4

That's about 60 cents worth of product.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. At a Starbucks?

Maybe an Oatmeal Cookie.. never seen Oatmeal served at a Starbucks.. 0.o"

[undeterred]

14. They're turning healthy

and oatmeal will be an offering.

http://www.mnn.com/food/dining-out/blogs/starbucks-raises-quality-of-food-not-prices

[AsahinaKimi]

15. Whoa!!

You are right..
http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_freshfood.asp

**falls off chair** 0.0"

(still wants an oatmeal cookie with raisins..mmmm)

[No Elephants]

19. The Starbucks nearest me sells oatmeal by the serving.

[Psephos]

17. how much for the store rent, debt service, labor, taxes, cleaning, and general overhead?

Food cost is usually pretty far down the chain at any restaurant.

Just sayin'... ;)

[undeterred]

18. Yeah, that's true.

I just always thought the markup on their coffee was ridiculous.

[No Elephants]

20. Drug and alcohol abuse programs are full of (supposedly) former abusers, both as founders and as

counselors. Some stay off the wagon for good; many don't.

[truthisfreedom]

21. Be that as it may, this guy is simply a f*cking weasel!

Supposedly working to help people get clean, but on the side, preying on the very people he claimed to help?

One sick dude.

[jmowreader]

23. Yeah, that's the worst part of this whole thing

Our Wonderful Government is probably paying this asshole to dry addicts out. Imagine the potential for abuse here: "Look, pay me $100 a month and buy all your shit from me, and I promise you'll come up clean on every drug test you take." Six months later..."look man, the price is now $100 a week plus the cost of your shit has gone up, pay it or I'll be sure you flunk your next piss test." And three months after that, "dude, I don't think my next door neighbor deserves the car he has. If you don't steal it by tomorrow night I'l make sure you go to prison for ten years."

[Psephos]

24. The hypocrisy of this is startling

until you reflect about the patterns of behavior so often seen in addicts.