Man Jailed for Cocaine Cleared After Lab Tests Showed it Was Powdered Milk

TO GO WITH AFP STORY IN FRENCH BY LAUREN

A homeless man in Oklahoma narrowly avoided spending the next 15-years in jail after a lab test confirmed that the cocaine police said he had on him, was actually powdered milk.

Cody Gregg, 29, was initially stopped by police on Aug. 29 after an officer tried pulling him over for not displaying rear lights on his bicycle, the Oklahoman reported. After a brief chase, officers caught up with Gregg and while searching his things, discovered a coffee can filled with a "large amount of white powder substance," the arrest affidavit stated.

Field tests conducted by the Oklahoma Police Department found the substance in the homeless man's possession tested positive for cocaine and Gregg was arrested, charged with drug trafficking and held on a $50,000 bond.

"Inside the baggie was a large amount of white powder substance that I believed to be cocaine based on my training and experience," the officer stated in the affidavit. "The white powder inside the baggy later tested positive for cocaine and was a total package weight of 45.91 grams of cocaine."

Initially, Gregg pleaded 'not guilty' to the charges against him, but after spending two months in jail while waiting for his trial, the 29-year-old later changed his plea, pleading 'guilty' to the lesser charge of cocaine possession with the intent to distribute. A judge sentenced him to 15-years in prison.

However, a few days later, Gregg returned to court, changing his plea for the third time, after lab tests found the powdery substance in his possession had been nothing more than powdered milk. Gregg told the court that he discovered the powdered milk in a food pantry and had entered the guilty plea, hoping to get out of the Oklahoma County Jail, the Oklahoman reported. The county jail is known for its poor conditions that range from mold to overcrowding along with unusually high suicide rates, the Washington Post reported.

Gregg was released from jail on Oct. 11, after spending more than 15 months in jail, officials said.

Photo: Getty Images


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