Drug-buy text mistakenly sent to cops

HELENA, Mont., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Sending a text message in search of a marijuana purchase almost landed two Helena, Mont., teens in trouble when it accidentally went to a deputy sheriff.

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Deputy Leo Dutton thought someone was playing a joke on him when he got a text message saying "Hey Dawg, do you have a $20 I can buy right now?" the Helena Independent Record reported.

After realizing the message wasn't a joke, Dutton called the Missouri River Drug Task Force, and a detective pretending to be the dealer arranged to meet the sender at a north-end business.

Inside the business, the detective saw two teens and an adult male; Dutton said the detective called the number he had received on his cellphone three times to make sure he had the correct person.

The deputy said the detective then called the boys aside, showed them his badge, then asked them to step outside, where one of them passed out, the newspaper said.

The detective ultimately decided not to charge the boys because their parents decided to get involved.

"When the detective saw there were parents that wanted to be involved he took the right action and I'm really proud of the deputy," Dutton said. "Trying to buy drugs is a crime, but it's probably worse that they had to face their parents."