MONTGOMERY COUNTY (KYW Newsradio) — A 20-year-old Philadelphia man is accused of making and selling THC-laced treats throughout Montgomery County to children as young as 11.
Quashon Rice of the 500 block of East Penn Street in Germantown is facing a long list of charges in Montgomery County, including soliciting minors to traffic drugs, 19 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, and 18 counts of corrupting the morals of a minor.
Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele says Rice was targeting children.
"He was bringing it to them at their schools. He was bringing to their local parks. He was bringing it to their houses," he said. "This defendant was targeting children to sell drugs to. Anyone that is targeting kids and supplying them with drugs should know we are targeting them."
The investigation started when a student at East Norriton Middle School was given what authorities believed was an edible marijuana snack, without that student’s knowledge. The child told police he was given a rainbow-colored Rice Krispies treat, but he said it didn’t taste good, and two other students started laughing at him when he ate it.
Police say the student who supplied the edible admitted he buys them through direct messages to an Instagram account, and the person behind that account would deliver them.
Detectives got a warrant for the Instagram account and found it advertised the availability of edible THC products, including Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch breakfast bars, cookies and brownies, along with delivery to public schools, parks, a trampoline park and customers’ homes.
The criminal complaint alleges Rice was using that account to advertise and he knew he was selling to minors.
The complaint lists 19 transactions, all in Montgomery County, with people ranging in age from 11 to 23, with an average age of just under 15. Those sales were across the county, in Abington, Conshohocken, Willow Grove, Wyncote, Ambler and Bala Cynwyd.
Rice is also accused of recruiting other kids to help him sell the edibles.
Rice was unable to post bail, which was set at $95,000. He is held in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 27.
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