Sweet Surprise: Florida Man’s Candy Packaging Conceals Drug Empire
Candy makes you dandy. It can also get you arrested. When it comes to hiding your dope stash, subtlety isn’t exactly this Florida man’s strong suit. Meet Torah Charlson, a 23-year-old from Spring Hill who, in a daring attempt to outsmart the authorities, decided to package his illicit treasures as everyday candy items. It’s like Willy Wonka went rogue, but without the magical chocolate factory… Just a lot of drugs.
According to WFB-TV, Charlson’s escapade came to a screeching halt when the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office caught wind of his creative endeavors. According to the authorities, his residence had been under their watchful eye since March. So, when they finally knocked on Charlson’s door, they were greeted by an “overwhelming smell” of marijuana. Note to self: scented candles might have been a better choice, Mr. Charlson.
After a bit of chit-chat, during which Charlson allegedly admitted to having some herbal refreshments, he tried to make a slick exit. He reached for his car keys and what seemed like a rolled marijuana joint. But, in a twist of fate that would make even the best of magicians jealous, the deputies saw right through his smokescreen and detained him on the spot.
Candy Stash:
Cue the search warrant and a curious discovery. Inside the candy-themed packaging, which included names like “Milky Weed,” “Kush Kat,” and “Skittlez. They also unearthed 24.3 pounds of marijuana, 90 pounds of hashish, 84 Xanax pills, 10 ounces of powder cocaine, and enough paraphernalia to start a DIY candy-themed dispensary.
Oh, but that’s not all. Charlson’s little candyland also featured a Glock 19 9mm pistol with a 30-round magazine, a Ruger LCR .38 Special revolver, and enough ammunition to put any action movie hero to shame.
Charlson’s bail has been set at $120,000, which means his sugar-coated dreams of escape might remain just that—dreams. But hey, at least he managed to create a candy-themed spectacle that’ll be remembered for a long time, even if it was all for the wrong reasons.
Most Popular Halloween Candy
Everyone has a favorite. However, what do you think is the most popular Halloween Candy nationwide? The folks at RetailMeNot surveyed 1072 adults to come up with this list.
According to the research, consumers are spending on average of about $108.62 on candy, decor and costumes this year. The same survey says just two years ago, 2021, consumers only spend $36.18 on the same items. Kind of hard to believe it was so little. A whopping 200% increase in just two years. Hey, that’s what the numbers in this report say and remember, it was a small sample audience.
However, one not so surprising finding is that chocolate is king. Sweet and tart treats showed up in the top ten, but the overwhelming majority are chocolate based faves.
If you are still looking for something fun to make for Halloween, try these REESE’S Peanut Butter Pumpkin Spiders.
Ingredients
8 REESE’S Peanut Butter Pumpkins (1.2 oz each)
32 large pretzel twists (2-1/2 to 3 in)
1/4 cup HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Chips, HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips*
Candy eyes
Line tray or cookie sheet with wax paper. Remove wrappers from desired number of peanut butter pumpkins. For each spider, cut 8 matching curved sections from pretzels which will form the legs. Set aside remaining pretzels pieces.
Place milk chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50%) 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at medium an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and smooth when stirred. Transfer to small heavy duty plastic food storage bag. Cut off one corner of bag about 1/4 inch from the tip.
For each spider, place peanut butter pumpkin on prepared tray. Attach pretzel legs and candy eyes to spider with melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to set before moving spiders.
Back to the survey
Here are the rest of the rankings for the most popular Halloween candy in the United States. Do they match up with your favorites?
Meet Budman, dynamic host of Marconi Award winning radio station WXKB's WiLD Bunch Morning Show, on B1039. Budman likes to write about funny news, a good Florida man story, stupid criminals or anything involving a superhero. Budman, a comic book and pop culture enthusiast, even named his daughter Kara Zor-El, after Supergirl. His only child is his true passion beyond the mic. Being a dad is his favorite role. Budman, a true family man, balances his love for radio with quality time spent with loved ones and his trusty dogs.
