ST. GEORGE – Hawking your old couch, looking for a job or a new apartment and even finding someone to fix your computer, all can be found on the St. George craigslist page. An ad that caught the eyes of the St. George Police was found Tuesday – an ad for heroin in St. George.
The poster of the ad solicited buyers for black tar heroin, one of the forms of heroin as opposed to powdered heroin. It is a common form and typically sold at the lowest level in balloons, which are small balls the size of a pencil eraser.
The heroin in the ad found is selling for $100 per gram and $25 per balloon.
Possessing heroin is a third-degree felony in Utah and carries a sentence of up to five years and/or up to a $5,000 fine. Distributing drugs is a second-degree felony and carries a sentence of up to 15 years and/or up to $10,000 fine. (See editor’s clarification below.)
The drug task force is evaluating the situation and has created a report, St. George Police Captain Kyle Whitehead said.
“On that website and blogs people can post pretty much anything they want on it,” Whitehead said. “It’s a little out of the ordinary for someone advertising drugs online, but people put a lot of other stuff on there. On occasion we get information that comes through craigslist and we have to evaluate each case.”
Craigslist has a list of prohibited items including “prescription drugs, medical devices; controlled substances and related items.” The website’s monitoring policy, or lack there of, includes a flagging model where users can flag posts that may be false, misleading or illegal.
The craigslist terms of use page states: “We are not liable for moderating, not moderating, or representations as to moderating, and nothing we say or do waives our right to moderate, or not.”
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
St. George News reporter Drew Allred contributed to this story.
Ed. CLARIFICATION Nov. 23, 2016 – Possible convictions vary depending upon whether or not intent to produce, manufacture or dispense is involved. According to Utah statutes in 2016, possession of heroin with the intent to produce, manufacture or dispense is a second degree felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years; upon a second or subsequent conviction possession of heroin with such intent is a first degree felony. Mere possession or use of heroin (without the other intents) is a class A misdemeanor on a first or second conviction and a third degree felony on a third or subsequent conviction. Other factors and law may come into play depending upon the circumstances of an individual case. Certain reporting requirements were added in 2016 as well. See Utah Code Section 58-37-8 and surrounding sections; seek advice of legal counsel.
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I don’t think its a real ad. It’s probably a reverse sting orchestrated by a half assed narco unit who dont have better things to do. ( like real police work) . I’m sure they are investigating the ad. I don’t think any self respecting drug dealer is that desperate or stupid.
LOL u think drug dealers r respectable? WOW UR WACKED….
I can’t believe this story broke like this! It seems like it would have been a lot better to have this story AFTER an investigation was completed. Looks to me like you folks compromised any possible investigation by putting this story out now. Congratulations. . .
I agree that leaking the story has probably blown the investigation. It has happened before.
I also agree it was stupid to post something like that online. Did the idiot who posted that think the police aren’t internet savvy?
Just a thought though maybe the idiot is hard-up for so-called customers.
You know some idiot drug addict is going to respond to this add. This is a Drug Task Force thing I bet. What is wrong with people in 2014. Heroin has been around forever. Just because some dude in Hollywood dies from a overdose everybody cares now….WAKE UP 2014!! Oh, maybe if half of the world would LOOK UP and not DOWN at thier bloody smartphones they would see that heroin use is not a new trend. Or maybe if everyone was not so busy posting and liking on facebook reality would not be such a surprise!
FB and iphone is the new religion
Just a correction. It’s actually only a misdemeanor, unless the individual has priors for possession.
Clarification is warranted here, thank you Loa. Possible convictions vary depending upon whether or not intent to produce, manufacture or dispense is involved. According to Utah statutes in 2016, possession of heroin with the intent to produce, manufacture or dispense is a second degree felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years; upon a second or subsequent conviction possession of heroin with such intent is a first degree felony. Mere possession or use of heroin (without the other intents) is a class A misdemeanor on a first or second conviction and a third degree felony on a third or subsequent conviction. Other factors and law may come into play depending upon the circumstances of an individual case. Certain reporting requirements were added in 2016 as well. See Utah Code Section 58-37-8 and surrounding sections; seek advice of legal counsel.
ST. GEORGE NEWS
Joyce Kuzmanic
Editor in Chief