Man arrested with dozens of food items during traffic stop in Fond du Lac County

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WBAY) – After a recent traffic stop and arrest, Fond du Lac County authorities are reminding parents to talk to their children about the potential dangers of edibles.

They may look like Oreos or just Skittles, but authorities say looks can be deceiving.

On Monday, a Fond du Lac County officer stopped an 18-year-old man and an 18-year-old passenger, both of Madison, as they drove through Fond du Lac County.

Officials said the couple had picked up a package that had been sent to the Fox Valley area from the state of Oregon. The officer suspected something was wrong when their stories didn't match up and called in a sniffer dog.

Officers eventually found over a pound of snacks and edibles laced with mushrooms and THC. These products are legal in some states, but not in Wisconsin.

Authorities say children could easily mistake these products for harmless snacks.

“Parents may not even know, they may see the Oreo packaging, it's the same color, the same font, the same text on the packaging, but it's laced with marijuana or sometimes psychedelic mushrooms or other products that are harmful to children. It's undeniable that these types of products negatively affect children's development, physiologically their brain development, and it's never really safe for children to consume these products,” explained Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt.

Parents tell us they are grateful for the authorities' reminder as their children return to school.

“It really scared me. I've heard stories, but I never thought something like this could happen in our neighborhood. So it really scared me and surprised me,” said Ladia Gaines, a Green Bay resident.

The 18-year-old driver was arrested and faces two charges: possession of THC with intent to resell and possession of psilocybin mushrooms with intent to resell.

All rights reserved.