Police are searching for a man who they claim left plastic Easter eggs filled with marijuana in various locations in a Texas town.
The Lufkin Police Department (LPD) announced in a press release shared on Facebook on Thursday, April 24, that arrest warrants had been issued for a man named Avante Nicholson after he allegedly placed several plastic eggs in public parks and at a motel.
The LPD said they received a tip about the eggs after a town resident saw a post about them on Facebook.
“The suspect posted four photos on Facebook showing each location as hints to locate the eggs,” the department said. “He also posted a photo of five plastic eggs in the seat of a vehicle. Officers found four eggs and believed he had not placed the fifth.”
According to the press release, three of the eggs were found in three different public parks, and one was found behind a Motel 6.
“However, the fifth egg was found by a man and his granddaughter at Winston Park the following day and brought to the police station,” the LPD added.
The eggs contained more than a quarter of an ounce of marijuana, and after police further investigated the social media posts, they identified Nicholson as the alleged owner of the Facebook page.
“They also found statements referencing selling narcotics on multiple occasions and in the posts, he stated whoever ‘shopped’ with him the day of the scavenger hunt would get hints to the locations of the eggs,” the LPD said.
“Incidents like this are a reminder of why we take seriously all information called in to our offices,” Lufkin Police Chief David Thomas said in a statement. “On the surface, it seems implausible that someone would give away a drug, but the follow-up proves that sometimes even the most unlikely things do happen.”
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“The safety of our community is at the forefront of everything we do,” Thomas added. “And in cases such as this, when it endangers children, we are even more vigilant.”
The LPD said they have issued four felony warrants for Nicholson. They include three warrants for delivery of marijuana in a drug-free zone — which refers to schools, playgrounds and youth centers — and one warrant for delivery of marijuana.
According to Texas law, these charges can carry a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines and jail time of up to two years.
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