Authorities: smoke shops in Lake Charles, Moss Bluff raided

Published 11:49 am Friday, May 30, 2014

Smoke shops in Lake Charles and Moss Bluff were raided for selling synthetic urine and other drug paraphernalia, officials said.

Blaze, a smoke shop at 3427 Ryan St., and Up in Smoke, at 869 Sam Houston Jones Parkway, were both raided Thursday evening, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso and District Attorney John DeRosier announced at a news conference Friday morning.

In addition to synthetic urine, liquids to help flush a person’s system, as well as “hideaways” were being sold, Mancuso said.

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Blaze owner Yossi Galamidi, 35, 113 W. 15th St., as well as Dylon Dugas, 20, 4510 Common St., and Andrew Singer, 25, 1607 Campfire Rd., were arrested for selling a product to falsify a drug screen. Galamidi also faces a charge of illegal use of currency. Galamidi’s bond is $15,000, Dugas’ is $40,000 and Singer’s is $10,000.

Up in Smoke owner Lillian Mitchell, 40, 3602 Center St., was arrested for selling a product to falsify a drug screen, as was John Garrett, 45, 3602 Center St. Mitchell also faces a charge of illegal use of currency. Her bond was set at $34,0000 and Garrett’s bond was set at $14,000.

Louisiana law says it is illegal to supply an product “for the purpose of falsifying a screening test.” It is not illegal, however, to purchase the product, Mancuso said.

Hideaways are items such as soda cans, cleaning supply cans or bottles, other household products that have a hidden compartment.

While the items are not illegal, Louisiana law says that statements concerning the use of an object is one of the 12 “legally relevant factors” in whether an item is drug paraphernalia.

Synthetic urine and detox liquids were also being sold at nine convenience stores in Calcasieu Parish, Mancuso said. The clerks who sold the items were issued misdemeanor summons for unlawful sale of supplying a product for the purpose of falsifying a drug screen.