18 Jan 2013
The length to which people go to obtain drugs never ceases to amaze us. Drug addiction produces some startling behavior, and an extreme example took place in North Austin this past weekend.
Police say a man entered an automobile dealership inquiring about taking a new SUV for a test ride. Details are a bit fuzzy, but the dealership claims that Carlos Valdes took off in a Chevrolet Tahoe without receiving permission. After about two hours, Valdez, who had not returned to the dealership, called police to notify them that the vehicle had been stolen. He allegedly told the officers that he had become lost, although there was no indication of how the car supposedly disappeared.
Up to this point the story, while unusual, does not hold much interest. What happened later, however, assuming the allegations are true, reveals a truly bizarre set of facts. After the car theft report, the police were apparently on the lookout, and found the Chevy Tahoe. It was being driven by a woman, who advised police that she purchased it from Valdes. The purchase price – two rocks of crack cocaine!
We don’t necessarily find it odd that goods of any type are bartered for illegal drugs. What is astonishing in this case is that the SUV, according to the car dealer, had a value of over $40,000. We’re not experts in drug prices, but it appears that crack can be purchased for about $20 a rock.
If the charges turn out to be true, this was a fairly good deal, at least until she was caught, for the woman who sold Valdes the drugs. She received a profit of 100,000%, although how she thought the transaction would not be discovered is beyond us. But the more important fact here is the length a person would go, and the risk he would take, for a couple of hits on a crack pipe. In this case, the auto theft alone is a felony, subjecting the offender to prison time. We expect that additional charges, including those relating to the crack cocaine, may also be filed before the case is over. All for drugs worth only a few dollars.
Law Office of David D. White, PLLC
1205 Rio Grande Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 369-3737