A homeless man in Oklahoma spent two months in jail before he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for cocaine that turned out to be powdered milk last week.
The courts apparently took the word of the Oklahoma City police officers who arrested him and wrote the following on the affidavit, according to the Oklahoman.
“Inside the baggie was a large amount of white powder substance that I believed to be cocaine based on my training and experience.
The white powder inside the baggy later tested positive for cocaine and was a total package weight of 45.91 grams of cocaine.”
The man, Cody Gregg, said he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute last week for the sole reason that he wanted to get out of the Oklahoma County Jail where he had been incarcerated since August 2019, according to Oklahoma City court records.
The Oklahoma County Jail has been rife with problems for decades, including rampant suicides, faulty plumbing and a steady stream of civil rights violations, according to an article in the Oklahoman from January 2019.
However, at some point after the conviction, somebody came up with the idea to test the white powder which was when it was discovered it was powdered milk.
Gregg, 29, was released Friday after a judge granted him permission to change his plea to not guilty.
Gregg was initially arrested on August 12, 2019 after police spotted him riding his bicycle without rear lights around 10:30 p.m. Oklahoma City police say when he spotted them he “did not stop but started to pedal harder as if he was trying to get away,” according to the affidavit.
And who can blame him for wanting to get away from cops when they try to destroy his life over powdered milk?
Police say they chased him for three blocks before detaining him and searching his backpack where they discovered the white powder.
He told the judge he obtained the powdered milk from a food pantry.
Oklahoma City police did not respond to local media requests for comment.
Correction: We originally reported that Gregg was arrested on August 12, 2018 because that is how it was originally reported but court records indicate it took place August 12, 2019, so we made the change.
