McGrue Charged With Conspiracy To Deliver Marijuana
Oskaloosa Police Department
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Oskaloosa police have arrested and charged Reggie Bernard McGrue Jr with conspiracy to deliver marijuana and Tax stamp violation. The first count of conspiracy to deliver marijuana is a Class D Felony. The second charge of Tax stamp violation is also a Class D Felony.
The following signed affidavit was obtained in court records by Osky News.
1. On October 4th 2011 I received a phone call from Bill Shepherd who works as a security guard at William Penn University (located at 201 Trueblood Avenue in Oskaloosa, Iowa) about a package sent to them in the mail containing marijuana. The package was addressed only to William Penn University and was opened by staff in the mail room at William Penn. The package did have a tracking confirmation number. Shepherd told me that a male identified as Reggie McGrue Jr was in the mailroom earlier expecting a package from home. McGrue is from Poway California according to Shepherd. The package indicated that the postage was paid from Poway California. Once I arrived at the University, I examined the package. Inside the package were three baggies containing marijuana and a box containing digital scales. Also included were Hershey peanut butter cups and a stuffed animal. One of the bags had the words “Reggie! F Baby!” written on it. I seized the package. McGrue later came to the mail room and asked for the package. McGrue was told that the package was sent back return to sender as it did not have a name on it. I was told all this information By Shepherd.
2. On October 13th 2011, I received another phone call from Shepherd who state that McGrue had told staff in the mail room that he was expecting another package. I told Shepherd to call me when the package come in. On October 14th 2011 at about 12:41 pm, I received a call from Shepherd stating that a package addressed to Reggie McGrue had come to the University mailroom and that it smelled of marijuana. The package is a white United States Postal Service Small Flat Rate Box addressed to Reggie McGrue and bearing Delivery Confirmation Number [number withheld by Osky News]. Postage was paid out of Poway, California. I concealed myself with Shepherd in the mailroom. McGrue was summoned to the mailroom to receive his package. McGrue arrived at about 1:40 pm. McGrue accepted the package and left the mailroom. As McGrue left the mailroom, I approached him and identified myself as a police officer. I spoke to McGrue about the package and asked him if I could open it. McGrue said that it was his property and that I could not open it.
3. McGrue was placed under arrest for conspiracy to deliver marijuana. I seized the package and McGrue’s cellular telephone. The package and the phone were secured. McGrue’s phone is a black LG Cellular telephone bearing the Sprint telephone company name and logo on the front and black and contains a 3.2 megapixel camera on the back.
4. On October 14th, 2011, I applied for and received a search warrant to open the package and search the cellular telephone. I opened the package which contain two nearly identical baggies of a green leafy substance consistent with high grade marijuana. They contained no Iowa tax stamp. I weighed one of the bags which weighed 30 grams for a total of about 60 grams of marijuana. I searched the phone and located picture messages sent from another person, presumably in California, containing the delivery confirmation number of the package I seized. I also located a picture of the delivery confirmation number of the first package I seized on October 4th 2011. I also noticed text messages to/from a friend of McGrue’s who was a student at William Penn. McGrue was talking about how he was receiving the marijuana with his friend and possibly others. Given the amount of marijuana is often distributed by the grams and that people who sell it charge $30-40 per gram locally. 60 grams plus the contents of the other package are consistent with distribution weights in the Oskaloosa/Mahaska County area.
A criminal charge is merely a criminal charge and not an indication of guilt. All suspects should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
