A Missouri man has been arrested after an advert he posted to Facebook Marketplace garnered attention for all the wrong reasons.
On Tuesday, Stone County Sheriff's Office received a tip-off about a social media post shared by someone trying to sell a catalytic converter online.
While the catalytic converter pictured in the post appeared normal enough, the whistleblower was a little perturbed by what they saw in the photo's background.
Explaining the situation in a Facebook post, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader wrote: "Apparently he [the seller] must have been under the influence because in the background of his picture he posted, he left his large bag of meth and syringe on the coffee table."
Rader passed the information on to a detective and, a day later, they decided to pay the seller a visit, having obtained a search warrant.
"You can imagine his surprise!!" Rader wrote. "He still had 48 grams of meth and a pistol that he is forbidden to own! We have now given him a new place to stay."
The Stone County Sheriff's Office also confirmed that his catalytic converters are no longer being sold via Facebook Marketplace.
"Take note," Rader warned, "If you are selling items on social media, make sure your drugs are not in the background!"
The man arrested has since been named by local media as James Kertz, 38, from Reeds Spring.
According to the news outlet, Kertz has several previous convictions to his name including resisting arrest, third-degree domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance, and endangering the welfare of a child.
He has been charged with trafficking drugs and unlawful possession of a firearm as a result of the Facebook Marketplace post and subsequent police search.
Rader told ky3 that in addition to the original tip he received "numerous" messages on Facebook expressing concern about Kertz's Marketplace post.
"I appreciate our Stone County residents that are looking out for this kind of things," he said.
Newsweek has contacted Rader for comment.
The sale and distribution of methamphetamine in the U.S. remains a major cause for concern to law enforcement officials. Last month a man in Illinois was arrested for allegedly attempting to traffic $15,000 worth of the drug.
In California, meanwhile, a female prison inmate was found to have colluded with a man flying a remote-controlled drone to transport meth and other drugs into the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange County.
However, the biggest meth story of recent times came back in August when customs officials in Texas successfully seized $20 million worth of the drug.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter, based in London, UK. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
