Couple charged with possession of soap, spend month in jail before lab proves them innocent

[JPZenger]

http://articles.mcall.com/2013-12-13/news/mc-state-police-arrest-cocaine-was-hand-soap-20131213_1_trooper-drug-suspects-soap

Hey, Mr. State Trooper, if they really were carrying 2 kilos of cocaine in plain view in their trunk, would they have agreed to let you search the car? Also, why were they pulled over for going only 5 mph over the speed limit? Was it because they were a Latino couple driving a nice car with out of state plates?

Excerpts:

"When the trooper found two plastic-wrapped packages in the trunk of the car, Cruz told him they contained soap she had made herself. The trooper field-tested them and Cruz and her friend, 30-year-old Alexander Bernstein, spent the next month in Lehigh County Prison after being arrested on cocaine-trafficking charges.

They got out this week after the Lehigh County district attorney's office dropped the charges because a state police lab tested the packages and found they contained boric acid or soap.

Bernstein was sent to prison under $500,000 bail and Cruz under $250,000 bail by District Judge Jacob Hammond.

Attyn. Karoly said he believes the field test either didn't happen, it was lied about or something is wrong with how it was done."

[Curmudgeoness]

1. OMG, how horrible.

I always want to believe that as long as I don't commit a crime, I will be safe from this sort of thing. Stories like this happen enough that I cannot believe that anymore.

Atty Karoly made the understatement of the year...."the field test either didn't happen, it was lied about or something is wrong with how it was done." Do ya think!

[Downwinder]

2. Wouldn't expect a dirty cop to recognize soap.

[left on green only]

3. I Wonder What State This Took Place In? Or Was It In The USA?

There certainly isn't anything in the article or the post to indicate that information. I am more than tired of having to do research myself on this board, just to find out the basic 5W's on most articles. It's like a never ending frigging research project here.

[Downwinder]

4. According to the OP it was PA.

[JPZenger]

5. Here's a second article with some additional info

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehigh-county/index.ssf/2013/12/cops_said_wrapped_bricks_were.html

It was in the Lehigh County area of eastern PA, by a PA. state trooper, along Interstate 78. The Latino couple were driving a new Mercedes. The couple's story was widely ridiculed over the last month online, before they were found to be telling the truth.