Police in Stone County, Missouri, arrested a man this week after he neglected to remove his bag of methamphetamine and a used syringe from view while trying to sell a catalytic converter on Facebook Marketplace.
James Kertz, 38, a convicted felon, was arrested Wednesday and charged with trafficking drugs and unlawful possession of a firearm, KYTV-TV reported. According to local law enforcement, he might have gotten away with his crimes if not for an air-headed post on social media.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said Wednesday that someone tipped his department off to the post shortly after it was uploaded to the online marketplace. When deputies showed up the next day, they found a 48-gram bag of meth sitting on Kertz’s coffee table — in the exact same spot seen in the photo.
“Last night one of our Stone County residents posted a catalytic converter for sale on Marketplace. Apparently he must have been under the influence because in the background of his picture he posted, he left his large bag of meth and syringe on the coffee table,” Rader said in a Facebook post following the arrest.
“I was alerted to this by one of our finer citizens. I passed this on to one of our Detectives. Today we arrived at this gentleman’s house with a search warrant. You can imagine his surprise!! He still had 48 grams of meth and a pistol that he is forbidden to own!” the sheriff continued. “We have now provided him a new place to stay.’
“Sorry folks, his catalytic converters are not for sale right now,” Rader quipped before adding, “Take note, if you are selling items on social media, make sure your drugs are not in the background!”
Investigators said Kertz is a felon and repeat offender with prior convictions for resisting arrest, third-degree domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance, and endangering the welfare of a child.
According to KYTV, Rader thanked the public for assisting his department in cleaning up the streets. He said multiple people reached out to law enforcement following the post.
“Not only did I get the original tip but had numerous people send us Facebook messages about the same post, so I appreciate our Stone County residents that are looking out for this kind of things,” the sheriff said.