staysblazed_xo
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Collin Riley Howard, of Sunnyvale, was indicted on one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, after he allegedly sold drugs to an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent on multiple occasions.
Rather than attempting to keep the illicit operations under the radar, authorities said, Howard built an app called the “Banana Plug,” a reference to UC Santa Cruz’s banana slugs mascot, while also employing the term “plug,” which is slang for drug dealer.
The app, though still listed in Google search results, was removed from Apple’s App Store on Wednesday. Company officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Posters advertising the app were then hung up on the school’s campus, drawing the attention of a UC Santa Cruz police officer who then contacted Homeland Security Investigations, authorities said. The app invited customers to make “special requests.”
Undercover officers communicated with Howard via the app to set up the first purchase of marijuana and cocaine, authorities said, before moving to Snapchat so the Homeland Security Investigations agent could conduct additional deals with Howard for more than five grams of methamphetamine.
Howard was arrested before any payment was made on the fourth meeting, authorities said.
If convicted on the cocaine charge, Howard faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of $1 million for each of the two alleged violations. He faces a prison sentence between five and 40 years on the methamphetamine charges, as well as a fine of $5 million for each of the two violations included in each count.
Rather than attempting to keep the illicit operations under the radar, authorities said, Howard built an app called the “Banana Plug,” a reference to UC Santa Cruz’s banana slugs mascot, while also employing the term “plug,” which is slang for drug dealer.
The app, though still listed in Google search results, was removed from Apple’s App Store on Wednesday. Company officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Posters advertising the app were then hung up on the school’s campus, drawing the attention of a UC Santa Cruz police officer who then contacted Homeland Security Investigations, authorities said. The app invited customers to make “special requests.”
Undercover officers communicated with Howard via the app to set up the first purchase of marijuana and cocaine, authorities said, before moving to Snapchat so the Homeland Security Investigations agent could conduct additional deals with Howard for more than five grams of methamphetamine.
Howard was arrested before any payment was made on the fourth meeting, authorities said.
If convicted on the cocaine charge, Howard faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of $1 million for each of the two alleged violations. He faces a prison sentence between five and 40 years on the methamphetamine charges, as well as a fine of $5 million for each of the two violations included in each count.
