On February 27th, 2019, you might have seen a heartwarming news story about a Good Samaritan who bought a bunch of Girl Scout cookies so the Scouts could get out of the cold weather. The story came from Greenville, South Carolina, where the temperature was near freezing when the man cleared out the stock of a Girl Scout troop posted outside a store. Now, in a strange turn of news events, the man, identified later as Detric Lee McGowan, is being accused of federal drug crimes.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detric has been charged with:
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin
- Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl
At this time, it is not known how the DEA was able to locate Detric and several others who were implicated in the same set of charges. It is possible if the viral post of him buying Girl Scout cookies while smiling at the camera could have allowed the DEA to pinpoint his location. Some have also wondered if the Girl Scout cookies were purchased with money earned through the alleged drug trafficking. Would that make the cookies evidence in this unusual case?
A representative of the Girl Scouts working with the troop made a point to say Detric did not pose any threat to the girls at any point in their interaction. To them, he seemed like nothing short of a Good Samaritan who wanted to help out however he could.
Everyone Deserves Strong Criminal Defense
One of the biggest takeaways from this ongoing story of the allegedly criminal Girl Scout hero is how he is undoubtedly a good person, no matter what criminal charges are being filed against him. Far too often, we are led to believe that all criminals are bad people who like to do “bad” things. In reality, people who are accused of or convicted of criminal violations are often misled, misunderstood, or simply made a mistake that they now regret and want to use as a learning experience.
At Brad Bailey Law, the team of Boston criminal defense attorneys believe in keeping the criminal justice system honest by providing tenacious defense for people accused of serious crimes, like drug trafficking and federal drug smuggling. Everyone deserves to be seen in a fair light before the court, and no one should be punished unreasonably harsh with a sentencing that overlooks the fact that they are human.
For hard-hitting, trial-tested criminal defense in Boston for a case of your own, call (617) 500-0252. The award-winning attorneys of Brad Bailey Law take cases of all sorts, from drug crimes and sex crimes to RICO crimes.