What Not To Do: Case #7

Taking out Classified Ads on a Public Website

Ok apparently today is the day for finding silly drug bust stories. This is also a case of a dealer using less then intelligent methods for finding clients for his marijuana sales business. Let me remind everyone marijuana is a banned substance, the penalties for selling marijuana are stiff, depending where you live. Advertising in any public way that you are breaking the law is a very dumb move. John Scott of Burlington County New Jersey learned this leason the hard way.

According to The Star Ledger, Scott took out a Craigslist ad advertising “420 shrubs for sale”. Note the clever use of the term 420 instead of marijuana or cannabis, surely no one but potheads would know what that means right? Wrong, of course cops know the terms we give in order to “disguise” pot use. 420 is a common term, very common.

In case you’ve lived under a rock and this is your first day surfing the tubes of the Interweb, well craigslist is a VERY well known classifieds ads site. People post free ads on the site and many people read those ads. Obviously the cops are on to this site and browse it from time to time too. In short caveat venditor, let the seller beware.