GASTONIA, N.C. — A package that was sent to a contractor working at a CarMax in Gastonia contained several pounds of marijuana, according to police.
Channel 9′s Ken Lemon broke the story Wednesday when he learned about the investigation and the worker’s arrest.
The employee, identified as Michael Williams, was contracted to work on cars at the Gastonia CarMax, and it’s not unusual for contractors to get mail delivered to the shop. But investigators say this one box was different, and that’s what made the situation so strange.
Inside the box was marijuana, three pounds of it, sealed in a bag.
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But Williams wasn’t there Monday when the package arrived, so managers got suspicious and called the police, who then opened the box and found the marijuana.
The Gastonia Police Department says the marijuana was shipped from Hollywood, California. While smoking and selling smaller quantities of marijuana is legal in California, shipping it is not.
Police say they believe Williams knew that, so they planned a sting.
“[We] put some items in the box that weighed roughly three pounds, resealed the box, and waited for the suspect, Mr. Williams, to come to work to claim that package,” said Rick Goodale with GPD.
When Williams got to CarMax, he verified the package was meant for him. Police officers then placed him under arrest.
“Most of the time, it’s going to houses, it’s very unusual to go to a business,” Goodale said.
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Police said they suspect Williams has had drugs delivered to the shop before. Employees told investigators that some other packages were smelly.
Williams, who lives about an hour and a half away near Columbia, is already out on bond.
CarMax says he wasn’t directly employed by them. They released a statement Wednesday, saying, “CarMax was founded on integrity and doing the right thing and we appreciate the quick response from the local police department.”
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