A man whose generosity sparked a Facebook post that went viral was arrested, officials said.
The man was snapped posing with two girls who had been selling cookies in cold weather outside a supermarket in Greenville, South Carolina. Kayla Dillard, whose daughter is in the Girl Scouts, said the man spent $540 to buy all the cookies, telling the girls “I’m taking them all so y’all can get out of this cold.”
Dillard praised the man and his actions received widespread praise from others.
The man was identified when he was arrested just a day after the post went viral.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said that the man, Detric McGowan, 46, was arrested with 10 other people in a drug bust.
The 11 defendants are accused of conspiracy to import and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, according to a grand jury indictment (pdf).
The group schemed to import the drugs from Mexico and distribute them throughout the Carolinas and other states.
According to authorities, McGowan is also suspected of trying to smuggle more than $1 million in cash out of the United States.
The scheme started in 2016.
The amount directly attributable to McGowan himself was 1 kilogram or more of a drug mix containing a detectable amount of heroin, 5 kilograms or more of a mix containing cocaine, and 400 grams or more of a mix containing fentanyl. During the investigation, McGowan and another defendant allegedly deposited tens of thousands of dollars into a bank.
EXCLUSIVE: It was through our reporting that we learned that the man — identified as Detric McGowan — was arrested Tuesday morning by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). https://t.co/qCvIWa7Cxv
— Amy Wood 7 News (@TVAmy) February 26, 2019
According to authorities, McGowan is known by the street name of “Fat.”
The alleged criminal group rented out a building in Mountville for the purpose of manufacturing, storing, and distributing the drugs, investigators said.
In a statement sent to WYFF, the Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands said the girls’ interaction with McGowan didn’t place anyone in danger.
“Nobody was hurt. Nobody was threatened. We had no reason to believe that this man was anything other than one of our valuable customers that is helping Girl Scouts power awesome experiences through the Girl Scout Cookie Program,” it said. “This is now in the hands of law enforcement and of course we will cooperate with authorities.”
Dillard, who posted the picture of the man and the girls, removed the post. She has also made her Facebook account private.
According to WSPA, McGowan faced a judge on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 26, and is in the custody of U.S. Marshals. He is slated to have a bond hearing on Friday.
Girl Scout Cookie Sales
According to the national organization, sales of the cookies go toward fresh experiences for the girls.
“One hundred percent of the net proceeds from Girl Scout Cookie sales is retained by the originating council and troop to fund activities for girls year-round as well as influential girl-led community projects. Each council determines its own revenue structure depending on how much it costs the council to buy cookies, the local retail price to sell cookies, and the amount of revenue shared with participating troops,” it stated.
“On average, Girl Scout council net revenue is approximately 65–75 percent of the local retail price of cookies; the amount shared with participating Girl Scout troops, referred to as troop proceeds, is approximately 10–20 percent of the local retail price,” it continued.
“Cookie program revenue is a critical source of funding for Girl Scout councils to deliver essential programs to troops and is often what makes it possible to reach girls in underserved areas and maintain camps and properties,” it added.
“Additionally, Girl Scout troops can pool their proceeds to pay for necessary supplies, activities, and group travel. Girl Scouts may not earn proceeds as individuals.”
