AIMEE GREEN
Judges get a lot of requests for warrants to search cars, homes and computers, but five bags of Lay's Potato Chips?
"I was thinking 'This is wild,' " said Judge Keith Meisenheimer, who gave Portland police the authority to open the bags after a PostNet clerk noticed an odd, earthy odor wafting from a package destined for Maryland via FedEx.
The person who mailed the package apparently didn't heed the sign posted next to the register at the Southeast 82nd Avenue business. It clearly says employees have the right to "open and inspect your packages."
After the customer left, the clerk opened the box and saw five sealed potato-chip bags. She asked herself: "Why would anyone pay $106 to fly potato chips across the country?" After opening one bag, she called police.
Inside the bags, police found five pounds of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
"It didn't smell like potato chips," said Sgt. Mike Krantz.
That might have been the end of the story, since the man who mailed the mushrooms didn't leave any contact information. But two days later, Joshua Michael Sturtevant called PostNet to complain that his package hadn't reached Maryland. This time, he left his phone number.
Now he faces felony charges for the manufacture, delivery and possession of a controlled substance. He also faces a lot of head shaking.
"I don't really know what he was thinking," Krantz said.
Judges get a lot of requests for warrants to search cars, homes and computers, but five bags of Lay's Potato Chips?
"I was thinking 'This is wild,' " said Judge Keith Meisenheimer, who gave Portland police the authority to open the bags after a PostNet clerk noticed an odd, earthy odor wafting from a package destined for Maryland via FedEx.
The person who mailed the package apparently didn't heed the sign posted next to the register at the Southeast 82nd Avenue business. It clearly says employees have the right to "open and inspect your packages."
After the customer left, the clerk opened the box and saw five sealed potato-chip bags. She asked herself: "Why would anyone pay $106 to fly potato chips across the country?" After opening one bag, she called police.
Inside the bags, police found five pounds of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
"It didn't smell like potato chips," said Sgt. Mike Krantz.
That might have been the end of the story, since the man who mailed the mushrooms didn't leave any contact information. But two days later, Joshua Michael Sturtevant called PostNet to complain that his package hadn't reached Maryland. This time, he left his phone number.
Now he faces felony charges for the manufacture, delivery and possession of a controlled substance. He also faces a lot of head shaking.
"I don't really know what he was thinking," Krantz said.
