The used Chrysler minivan came fully loaded, with power steering, foldaway seats, tinted windows -- and half a million dollars' worth of cocaine.
San Jose psychologist Charles Preston had no clue there was a cellophane-wrapped stash of "snow" hidden inside the frame when he bought the pristine-condition, 2008 van last year from Thrifty Car Sales in Santa Clara. True, the windows wouldn't roll down all the way. But he had no reason to suspect it was because the door panels were crammed with kilos of coke.
He found out 15 months later when he went to a mechanic to get his brakes checked, and immediately turned the contraband over to police. Now, he's terrified a drug cartel still may be gunning for it.
"They told me, 'You're so lucky, you'd be in jail for the rest of your life if you got searched in a traffic stop and they found this.' "
But they also told him something chilling: Take the van back in to the repair shop to check for tracking devices because somebody is probably looking for it. Then get rid of it.
Despite the No Country For Old Men feel this story has to it, it really is a miracle that he wasn't stopped and put in prison for life. The fact that the van is used to aid a charity adds a bit of irony to it. But thinking that somewhere, a really pissed off coke lord is looking for his stash... that is the stuff of nightmares.
Thank goodness it worked out well for this man. Now if you don't mind, my seat doesn't slide all the way back, I have to go check something out.
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