Have you ever had a donut that was just so dang good, you thought it should be illegal? I sure have. The pillowy, glazed goodness of fried batter is often just too good to resist. But for one innocent Florida man who was arrested just for having crumbs in his car, his bi-weekly indulgence got him into unthinkable trouble.
Daniel Rushing received a $37,500 settlement from the City of Orlando after he was busted for meth in December 2015 -- but there was just one problem. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the "meth" that a police officer positively tested in the 64-year-old's car turned out to be glaze flakes from a Krispy Kreme donut.
"I couldn't believe it," Rushing told the Sentinel. "I've never even smoked a cigarette before, let alone meth."
That day, Rushing was driving a friend home from work in an area that had been flagged for drug use, when an officer pulled him over for speeding, notes NPR.
He handed over his license and confirmed that he had a concealed-carry weapons permit, when the officer had him step outside and asked to search his vehicle. He said yes, thinking that that would surely clear up any questions.
Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd get busted for a pastry.
But indeed, he did. The officer found a crystallized substance on the floor of his car, which tested positive for methamphetamine.
"That's glaze from a Krispy Kreme doughnut!" he said, when the officer showed it to him. "I get one every other Wednesday."
He spent 10 hours in jail.
"It was funny, because I called my wife to tell her what happened, and the guy next to me waiting for the phone started to laugh," Rushing recounted to NPR. "He said, 'This is crazy. I think you got a real good lawsuit here.' "
And indeed, he did. After the substance underwent further testing, all charges were dropped, and he received his settlement. But his criminal record kept him from starting his own security business.
"These kits give a false positive 1 out of every 5 times," he said. "I'm thinking about running for statehouse next year. And if I do, I'd like to get something done about these kits."
Rushing said he sometimes receives a free donut from his local Krispy Kreme for his troubles -- but he doesn't eat it in the car.