GREENVILLE, S.C. — The “generous stranger” who spent more than $500 on cookies so two Girl Scouts wouldn’t have to stand in the cold, has been arrested by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
[RELATED: SC man buys $540 in cookies so Girl Scouts can get out of cold weather]
Detric McGowan, 46, was arrested Tuesday morning by the DEA according to WSPA. He was arrested with 10 other suspects for conspiring to import drugs from Mexico as well as numerous other charges, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine
Karen Kelly, a vice president of the local Girl Scouts chapter, responded to the arrest with the following statement:
"Nobody was hurt. Nobody was threatened. We had no reason to believe that this man was anything other than one of our valuable customers that is helping Girl Scouts power awesome experiences through the Girl Scout Cookie Program.
"This is now in the hands of law enforcement and of course we will cooperate with authorities."
Last week, members of a Greenville, South Carolina, Girl Scout troop were selling cookies outside a grocery store when the McGowan approached and bought more than 120 boxes, according to WYFF.
"This man purchased seven packs of cookies. Gave the girls $40, told them to keep the change. Then he came back to the table and said, 'Pack up all of your cookies. I'm taking them all so y'all can get out of this cold,'" Kayla Dillard, the troop's cookie sales manager, wrote in a now-viral Facebook post. "$540 he spent on cookies. What an amazing soul!!!!"
The post, which has been shared more than 8,000 times since Friday, included a photo of McGowan posing with two of the girls.
An indictment issued last week says McGowan, also known as "Fat," is one of several suspects in an ongoing drug investigation. It says he and 10 other people conspired to import drugs from Mexico in late 2018. The U.S. Attorney's Office says authorities are still searching for one of the suspects.