A newspaper deliveryman was busted for allegedly selling marijuana along his morning route.
Douglas Lukehart, 58, of Sardinia, NY, was arrested early Saturday after investigators received anonymous tips about someone selling drugs during his morning delivery of the Buffalo News, according to a news release from the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.
Lukehart was pulled over at about 6 a.m. after violating an unspecified traffic law on Olean Road in Holland. The deputy then realized Lukehart was a person of interest in the ongoing drug-related complaints, authorities said.
Another deputy and a canine unit searched Lukehart’s vehicle and found a bag of marijuana inside a stack of newspapers.
Lukehart was later released on appearance tickets for Holland Town Court after being arrested and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.
Lukehart, according to the Buffalo News, was an independent contractor and not an employee of the newspaper.
“The News separately contracts with many delivery persons for paper delivery routes,” a company spokesman said Monday. “We became aware of this situation and have taken immediate steps to sever our contractual relationship with this individual.”