The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A man in Missouri was arrested after reportedly placing an ad with a photo on Facebook Marketplace with drugs showing in the background.
38-year-old James Kertz resides in Reed Springs, Missouri. He has previously been convicted of several felonies for a variety of criminal infractions, such as drug and domestic violence-related illegal activity.
At the end of September, Kertz reportedly decided to seek a buyer for a catalytic converter by placing an ad on Facebook Marketplace. It is reported that he included a photograph of the item with the post.
When he posted the ad, Kertz reportedly did not notice that allegedly illicit items sitting on the nearby coffee table were visible in the picture.
Someone on Facebook reportedly noticed that there appeared to be drugs and paraphernalia left out in the open in the photograph. They notified the Stone County Sheriff’s Office about what they had seen in the Marketplace ad.
The authorities obtained a search warrant, and on September 29, deputies went to Kertz’s residence.
According to the sheriff’s office, while they were searching the premises, they discovered 48 grams of methamphetamine in Kertz’s home. They additionally reported that they found a handgun and disclosed that he is “forbidden to own” firearms since he has had felony convictions.
When the police talked to Katz about the discovery of the narcotics in the photograph, and the man allegedly said he did not realize they were visible when he uploaded it.
Katz was taken into custody and booked into the Stone County Jail. He is facing charges for suspicion of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a weapon.
At the time of this writing, Katz was still being held without bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.