A New York man was busted for narcotics trafficking when authorities caught him sending bags of skittles filled with oxycodone pills through the mail, the New York Daily News reported.
Michael Foreste, of Long Island, sent the oxycodone-laced candy bags addressed to the 2-month-old niece of one of his customers in Vermont in early June. But unbeknownst to Foreste, who lives with his mother in Valley Steam, his client was working with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Agents arrested the 34-year-old and extradited him to Vermont where he is now facing drug charges, the newspaper reported. He also has a previous conviction on drug charges, but had been released on bail.
"He should be in jail...(but) instead of taking that opportunity and learning from his past crime," he continued to distribute oxycodone," Vermont Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller said according to the Daily News.
Foreste's downfall began on June 10 when police showed up at the 2-month-old's home in Winooski, Vermont. Police issued a search warrant and found a package with a "stuffed animal, infant's clothing, a baby's bib, a small purse and two bags of Skittles candies," according to court documents obtained by the newspaper.
A total of 305 oxycodone pills were found in one of the Skittles bags. The pills have a street value of $30 dollars each, authorities told the Daily News.
Dannis Hackney, the baby's uncle, received another package from Foreste on June 11. Inside the package, also addressed to his niece, was "a chocolate bar, two packages of M&M candies, and one package of Skittles candies," according to the court papers.
The Skittles bag, which appeared to have been resealed using heat, contained close to 80 pills.
Before he was arrested Foreste deposited $130,000 in cash in several TD bank accounts from January to April, according to the documents.
Foreste is being held without bail, the Daily News reported. Though Hackney cooperated with the feds, he was also charged and held without bail for not telling authorities that the drugs were being sent to his niece to avoid being caught.
