The Police seized my Bounce mushroom

[Servillius]

I don’t think it’s hard to figure out why a package selling at coral prices with the words “bounce” and “mushroom” associated with it got attention.

That said, it’s a danged coral and I, or the OP, have every right to ship it and name it whatever the hell we want and not have Akron PD in your mail.

Lawyer up. Not kidding, lawyer up. Unless they’re at your house today with a carefully acclimated shroom, a $200 gift card to your favorite vendor, and a bonus frag of the never seen before “Rainbow Pride” tenuis with all 8 colors showing, you should make sure they have to explain all this to a judge.

 

[ThunderGoose]

+1000 lawyer up. I wonder if UPS, being a private company, is not protected the way mail is... Still, there should be paperwork and accountability. I hate to suggest a lawyer but we (the people) need to keep the police honest and this seems to be the only way.

Following. Wondering if the 'shrooms survived.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Just a reminder to all posting, no vulgarity, no referencing using drugs, no insinuations or support of violence.

 

[Maritimer]

From what I understand of how the mail system works because it falls under federal jurisdiction it is protected by the 4th amendment and the only way police can search your mail is with a warrant and it must be pretty specific in its terms. The only reason they would not need a warrant is if there was some reason to suspect it was posing a danger/immediate threat. If the box was leaking a "fluid" I guess they could see it as suspicious and seize it but I have received plenty wet/leaking packages because it would be pretty easy to determine a coral in a bag is not a threat, unless they blew it up .

But UPS isn't "the mail system", it's a private shipping company.

~Bruce

 

[KStatefan]

I don’t think it’s hard to figure out why a package selling at coral prices with the words “bounce” and “mushroom” associated with it got attention.

That said, it’s a danged coral and I, or the OP, have every right to ship it and name it whatever the hell we want and not have Akron PD in your mail.

Lawyer up. Not kidding, lawyer up. Unless they’re at your house today with a carefully acclimated shroom, a $200 gift card to your favorite vendor, and a bonus frag of the never seen before “Rainbow Pride” tenuis with all 8 colors showing, you should make sure they have to explain all this to a judge.

How does the Akron Police Department know there is a mushroom in a UPS package?

 

[ChrisOFL]

But UPS isn't "the mail system", it's a private shipping company.

~Bruce

He said it was taken by the police. UPS has every right to look inside, but for the police to seize the package that makes things a little different. It seems to me they have no plans of returning it so that does appear to be a violation of 4th amendment rights to some extent. I'm no law expert but I would think even UPS mail falls under federal jurisdiction of some kind (interstate commerce). The police are still seizing someones property either way and that always requires a warrant outside of very limited circumstances.

 

[Tucker64]

Big brother is watching you!

Big brother must just like watching a guy with wet sleeves playing with a fish tank all day lol

 

[Tucker64]

Have you ever had anything seized from customs before? I was an idiot a got a package full of "muscle stuff" seized by customs last year and I feel my address is flagged. I had USPS divert a package of corals I bought from member in the spring for "suspicious" activity (never got the package RIP wallet and corals).

No I've never had anything seized before. I do travel once a year out of the country for vacation but they've never even check my bag. Honestly, the only things that come in my mail are bills and things for the hobby lol.

 

[Tucker64]

Not a whole lot the poor guy can do! Love em or hate em, the cops truly have all the cards in a situation like this. The damage to the shroom is probably done? I don't know much about how sensitive bounce corals are to sitting in baggies for length...

I made the mistake of yelling at a cop who pulled me over a long time ago when I was in high school. He flipped my license back at me and hit me in the lip; out of reaction I cursed at him and next thing I know he grabbed a huge chunk of my hair and tried to pull me out of the car with the window half rolled up while my seat belt was still on. The guy was so mad I could hear his teeth grinding; I thought he was going to pull my head off and peed myself a little. Scared the living crap out of me, I feel like he almost moved the actual car by pulling on my head. Once he calmed down he said something about getting me kicked out of school and told me to go home. I don't think iv'e been pulled over since! (21 years ago)

At least I didn't get a ticket

Ya if it makes it I'll definitely be impressed. That's crazy that happened to you though. If that happened today all hell would have broken loose

 

[Tucker64]

Well, drama aside; if it’s delivered by Friday I’m sure it’ll be alright...
It’s a rhodactis after all

That's what I'm hoping. Just hope they didn't take all the water out of the bag

 

[TheEngineer]

Try calling the postal inspector for your post office/region. They may be able to help.

 

[Tucker64]

I never had a problem with them other than that one isolated incident as a teenager but I also live a boring life in the burbs so I rarely deal with them. I also drive like a duddly do right and almost never speed. I'm just trying to relay that there isn't much he can do to get his corals back as they hold all the cards. There could have been a mail seizure from previous tenants of his address or anything. I think they would have SOME type of reason to capture the package.

Ya I've only owned the house for 3 years. I have had several other boxes of corals come with no issues though. They should have just called me or something.

 

[Tucker64]

Fight the power!!!!

My neighbor's the lawyer for our county sheriff. I'll ask her in the morning what recourse you may have.
Bounce shrooms are very resilient and can possibly last several days in the bag. dont give up yet

Thanks that would be awesome!

 

[Tucker64]

Any seller making boxes and packing in the general vicinity of questionable items simply transfers the smell to your boxes, dogs pick it up on the distribution line/flagged

Hands, prep surfaces around home, stink vectors to your package. Seller may be on their own watch list having nothing to do with you as well.


social media post on pd fb is prudent or no?

Somehow your package got smell on it.

I'm going to call them in a little bit or go down there and try one more time before I start slamming them all over the Internet. Just posted the story here because people would understand my frustration and might get a little enjoyment about how funny the whole situation is.

 

[Shon]

I thought aything seized will have a case number.. with an assigned detective to said number. I'd pay a personal visit to the station, with a print out of UPS. Can't hurt to record it all and make a Youtube video. Those types of videos seem to get alot of hits.

 

[KyleC.]

Curious how this will turn out. Following. My advice, don’t say to the police “ BUT I️ BUY MUSHROOMS ALL THE TIME!”

 

[KStatefan]

Lol.

Google “civil asset forfeiture”.
They steal things from innocent citizens all the time. Usually cash though. This is an interesting one.

There are some pretty scary stories out there.

 

[Jl330]

I just want to follow this.

 

[Newb73]

I might even be tempted to play up a suit for mental anguish just for fun.

A coral is s living pet after all and their 4th amendment violation has/may result in the death of your pet.

How much money is mental anguish over the loss of a pet worth?

Plenty of $$$$ if you csn convince a judge that the hobby is therapeutic for your high blood pressure and to relieve stress/anxiety.

That won't work if the judge owns a tank however...he will know this hobby induces more stress than it alleviates and is in itself....only a hobby for those with great patience and nerves of steal.

Be that as it may.....id be playing up the mental health "my corals are to me what a kitten is to your daughter" angle and the tons of medical and counseling dollars this mistake is going to cost you...the patient...the victim.

Okay its a stretch but if you could pull it off....maybe show up with a lawyer, sun glasses, a poodle from Beverly Hills and tears running down your face talking the PTSD this is aggrivating with flash backs of your loss of your beloved Biff

....ch ching!!!! $$$$

 

[reefpaddy]

Maybe the UPS/Cop is a reefer? Lol