Officers Mistake Jolly Ranchers for Methampetamine

In late June, 25 year old Love Olatunjiojo and his friend were arrested right after coming out of a Coney Island candy store.  Cops searched the two and found what they called six “crystalline rocks of solid material.” Four of the rocks were blue, while two were red.

The complaint said that officers seized a “quantity of methamphetamine” that field tested positive for a controlled substance. Field tested because one of the arresting officers took some classes teaching him how to identify methamphetamine. What the heck kind of field test did he perform?

The Smoking Gun reports Olatunjiojo, was charged with drug possession. He spent 24 hours in custody before being released on his own recognizance on the misdemeanor count.

Two days after Olatunjiojo’s arrest, the NYPD’s Controlled Substance Analysis Section performed lab tests that revealed the rocks were not meth and there was nothing illegal in them.  They were Jolly Ranchers just like Olatunjiojo told the cops from the get go.

Charges were eventually dropped .   A third man was busted for interfering with police as they arrested his two friends. he tried to tell the cops,  “It’s candy!”

Olatunjiojo  is now suing, saying the false arrest, strip search, and unlawful imprisonment resulted in “emotional trauma” and “severe mental pain and anguish.  . No word yet on how much money he wants.