Bradenton man sold ‘Scooby snacks’ and other drugs through Cash App, prosecutors say
A federal jury convicted a Bradenton man on drug and gun charges after prosecutors say he used Cash App to sell heroin, cocaine and meth.
Andre Adams, Jr., 43, faced charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm for a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Adams faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years with a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 15.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Adams after receiving a complaint that he was selling fentanyl through Cash App, according to a news release. Over the next several months, investigators say they saw frequent visitors make exchanges with Adams at his home.
His Cash App records showed that he was paid tens of thousands of dollars over a short period of time, according to the news release. Investigators said many of the senders had known drug addiction problems and used coded language like “Scooby snacks,” a street term for heroin or fentanyl.
On Aug. 4, 2022, detectives searched Adams’ home, where they say they found a loaded handgun, $22,000 in cash, 400 grams of cocaine, 55 grams of meth, 80 grams of fentanyl, a money counter, a kilo press, drug cutting agents and scales.
After they searched his storage unit, detectives say they found three more guns, including an AK-47 rifle, several dozen rounds of ammunition, two kilograms of cocaine, more than 350 grams of meth, drug-cutting agents and a digital scale.
Adams, who previously spent 15 years in state prison for trafficking cocaine, agreed to forfeit all the firearms and ammunition found at his home and storage unit, according to the news release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.
