Upon receiving the text message, the probation officer notified local police and a search warrant was issued for Cross’s residence. Upon the execution of the search warrant, Albany police discovered a bag of cocaine in the possession of Cross according to local ABC affiliate WALB. Obviously, Cross was arrested shortly after and sent back to prison. He received one additional year in prison for violating the terms of his probation as well as another year for the drug possession.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that an errant text message has alerted local authorities to illegal activity. During 2010, three drug dealers in New York typed the incorrect phone number into their smartphone and ended up texting a drug task force agent approximate 50 miles north of New York City. The task force agent set up a meet with the drug dealers, recovered 60 bags of heroin and charged the dealers with criminal possession of a controlled substance.
During early 2012, a similar texting situation occurred within Meriden, Connecticut. 19-year old Lorraine Apuzzo sent a text accidentally to a cop attempting to sell 200 Percocet pills. Working with 25-year-old Frank Boemmels, the duo met with police at a local mall, arrested both in possession of the Percocet and charged each with criminal attempts to commit sales of narcotics in a school zone.
Another incident during 2012 landed a 23-year-old Indiana man into custody after he accidentally sent a text to a police officer attempting to sell a drug called Suboxone. Of course, police quickly set up a buy, photographed the drug deal and subsequently charged the man with dealing a Schedule III controlled substance.
