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Former NBA player gets caught with marijuana

Erin Fischesser

The Oxford Police Department (OPD) K-9 Unit discovered 11 pounds of marijuana in a package Dec. 3 at the Middletown Post Office.

According to police, the package was being sent to Corie Blount, a former University of Cincinnati and former NBA basketball player.

According to handler Sgt. David King, dogs from the OPD K-9 Unit were in the Middletown area to do drug searches at Middletown and Fenwick high schools when they received a request from Middletown Police and Postal Inspector Gregory Duerstock for them to meet at the Middletown Post Office regarding a suspicious package.

"We set up five packages in a line," King said. "Four were random and one was suspicious."

King said that he was unsure of the reasons the 22-pound package was suspected, but said that there was excess tape around the seams.

After King's dog, Dover, alerted that the box contained drugs, Duerstock obtained a search warrant and was able to open the package.

"The postal inspector said when he cut the box open there were a bunch of packing peanuts," King said.

According to King, the next layers of the package included 10 to 15 layers of saran wrap, mustard and dryer sheets that smelled like they were dipped in ammonia.

Beneath all of the layers, 11 pounds of marijuana was uncovered.

King said that while the items didn't stop Dover from smelling the drugs, they were somewhat effective.

"A human nose can usually smell that amount but I didn't smell anything going down the line," he said.

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The LATimes reported that 11 more pounds of marijuana were found at Blount's home.

Duerstock was unable to comment on the incident due to the ongoing investigation.