Man Forgot To Hide Giant Bag Of Meth In An Ad For A Catalytic Converter

A Missouri man was arrested on drug charges because he tried to sell a catalytic converter online. Authorities said that James Kertz, 38, posted a photo of the car part on Facebook Marketplace but forgot to put away a giant bag of methamphetamine and a syringe that was on a wooden coffee table in the background.

A local resident saw the photo on contacted the police, who served a search warrant at his home.

"Today, we arrived at this gentleman's house with a search warrant. You can imagine his surprise!! He still had 48 grams of meth and a pistol that he is forbidden to own," Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said in a post on Facebook.

Kertz told deputies he didn't realize the bag of drugs was visible in the photo. He was taken into custody and charged with possessing a controlled substance. He has been previously convicted of resisting arrest, domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Rader thanked all those who sent his office tips about the bag of drugs.

" Not only did I get the original tip but had numerous people send us Facebook messages about the same post, so I appreciate our Stone County residents that are looking out for this kind of things," said Rader.

The sheriff's office offered some advice for others who want to sell items online.

"Take note, if you are selling items on social media, make sure your drugs are not in the background!"