Man arrested on federal drug charges hours after going viral as Girl Scout cookie ‘good Samaritan’
A South Carolina man was arrested on federal drug charges hours after going viral for his “good Samaritan” act to help a Girl Scout troop.
Detric Lee McGowan, 46, was arrested Tuesday by federal drug enforcement agents on charges related to an ongoing drug investigation. He was charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, among other charges, according to The Associated Press.
Earlier Tuesday, a story went viral about a man buying over $500 worth of cookies from two Girl Scouts in South Carolina so they could “get out of the cold.”
{mosads}Kayla Dillard, the mother of one of the girls in the Girl Scout troop, shared the video on Facebook, and told ABC News that she and other parents “were all shocked” when the man bought 129 boxes of cookies for nearly $540.
“After the initial shock wore off, our hearts were full, and we were very thankful,” she said.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said that McGowan, also known as “Fat,” is the man in the viral photos and videos.
McGowan and 10 other people are suspected of conspiring to import drugs from Mexico late last year, according to the AP. Authorities are still searching for one suspect in the case.
McGown is being held at a Spartanburg County detention center, according to the AP.
Officials with the Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands issued a statement saying that the organization will cooperate with authorities, and that the group had no reason to believe McGowan was “anything other than one of our valuable customers” when he made the purchase.
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