A Florida man was released from custody after spending more than a month in jail on drug-trafficking charges. It turns out the alleged heroin found in his van was actually laundry detergent, according to news reports.
Matt Crull was one of 11 people falsely arrested on drug charges in Martin County after authorities discovered a deputy was falsifying the results of drug tests in the field, WYFF-TV reported.
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Crull was arrested by Martin County Sheriff’s deputy Steven O’Leary on Dec. 5, according to WPTV.
— Serge Kovaleski (@sergenyt) January 29, 2019
Sheriff William Snyder says the officer has been fired after an investigation uncovered that at least 11 people he put in jail for drug charges were found innocent. https://t.co/5aOmrhjEkF
Deputy Steven O'Leary arrested Crull on Dec. 5 after claiming he found 92 grams of heroin in Crull's van, according to WYFF.
Tests at a crime lab later verified the substance was not drugs.
"I really freaked out," Crull told the news station. "I started panicking and didn't really know what to think."
Crull said the purported heroin was really laundry soap.
The Martin County Sheriff's Department fired the deputy and also released 10 other people, all victims of O'Leary. Authorities said they're in the process of reviewing all of O'Leary's cases.
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