Police recruit young female drug offender to be informant, with fatal results

[rambone]

Some of the forgotten victims of the Drug War are the uncounted, often unnamed people who are faced with the choice of prison or becoming an undercover snitch, performing high-risk deals on the black market to take down people violating prohibition laws.

Rachel Hoffman was a 23-year-old college grad who was busted possessing 5 or so ounces of cannabis and 4-6 ecstasy pills. Tallahassee Police attempted to convince her to turn over marijuana dealers in exchange for dropped charges but she refused.

The young, naive suspect was eventually coerced into participating in a drug sting. They wanted her to buy a gun, two ounces of cocaine and an astonishing 1,500 pills of ecstasy. Police agreed to drop her charges if she would risk her life taking down drug dealers while wearing a wire.

During the sting operation, the people she was snitching on discovered her wire and put 6 bullet holes in her body and left her in the woods.

She was shot five times point blank in the chest and once in the head. When she was found, her Grateful Dead sweatshirt was shrouded over her. Yes, six holes in her body and in a ditch with her favorite jam band shirt. She wanted to become a chef and teach troubled kids how to cook while providing therapy in a practical but fun setting. She, Rachel Morningstar Hoffman, with the big, toothy smile who liked to spin in circles at festivals and wanted to help troubled kids have a better life. Murdered. Executed. Just like that.

This is reason #7,019,285 to stop persecuting people for possessing arbitrary plants, pills, and objects. When a person is put in a position between their losing their freedom and making a risky, stupid choice, this is the result. People will usually do whatever it takes to keep their freedom.

That's the situation the girl was put in. She chose the stupid, risky choice.
That's the situation her killers were put in. They chose the stupid, risky choice.

The black market amplifies the danger and encourages violence. Prohibition is a bloody, expensive, immoral disaster.


Her Name Was Rachel Hoffman

Pawns in the War on Drugs: The Throwaways

 

[IndyDave1776]

Sad and disgusting story of risk taken under duress leading to death. I also find it disgusting that there are career informants who are given free reign to flout the law as they will so long as they keep feeding the system cannon fodder, even if they have to work to manufacture a chargeable offense from someone otherwise disinclined to be involved. So much for truth and justice.

 

[No2rdame]

Really sad. A college student who just liked to "party" a bit with a few recreational drugs put into this position and her life ended just so the cops can bust a few guys that will spend a couple of years in the joint before being released by some liberal judge.

The worst thing is that her death will be nothing more than a blurb on the internet. There will be no protests, no outrage, no marches in the streets. The cops that put her in this position will not face penalties.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I would also add that if the cowards wanted something that dangerous done, they should have done it themselves. What happened to the good old days? Real men are supposed to protect the weak, not use them for live bait with a significant chance of being killed.

 

[Bunnykid68]

5 or so ounces of pot, she wasn't just partying, she was working her way through school. I don't care, just putting that out there.

 

[raptrbreth]

5 or so ounces of pot, she wasn't just partying, she was working her way through school.

I disagree, most people I know who smoke daily keep a pound or so for use. When they busted Tommy Chong he had at least that in his house.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I disagree, most people I know who smoke daily keep a pound or so for use. When they busted Tommy Chong he had at least that in his house.

Yeah, they keep that much because they are selling it so what they smoke is free to them.

 

[phylodog]

"People will usually do whatever it takes to keep their freedom."

You're right, most people usually do. It's pretty simple, don't commit crimes which can result in the loss of said freedom.

"Forced" to participate? Never seen that done before. Offered an opportunity to cooperate? Sure, happens all the time.

Regardless of these misleading notions, this should not happen. The operation was not handled properly by the officers involved. It's a risky business and often times bad things happen but allowing thugs to drag a CI into a secluded area does not happen if things are done properly.

In closing I'll repeat what I've said many times on here; end the war on drugs tomorrow, won't hurt my feelings a bit. Get it put on the ballot and I'll cast my vote accordingly. Until then many substances remain illegal. Involve yourself at your peril.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I disagree, most people I know who smoke daily keep a pound or so for use. When they busted Tommy Chong he had at least that in his house.

This leads right into my primary objection to laws which automatically presume intent to sell/distribute without any actual evidence of such intent based on quantity. If I go to Sam's and buy cases of any given product that will last me a while, why can't a drug user? By this logic, I could be accused of intent to sell/distribute guns, toilet paper, bowl cleaner, baby wipes, and perhaps a few other things.

 

[IndyDave1776]

"People will usually do whatever it takes to keep their freedom."

You're right, most people usually do. It's pretty simple, don't commit crimes which can result in the loss of said freedom.

"Forced" to participate? Never seen that done before. Offered an opportunity to cooperate? Sure, happens all the time.

Regardless of these misleading notions, this should not happen. The operation was not handled properly by the officers involved. It's a risky business and often times bad things happen but allowing thugs to drag a CI into a secluded area does not happen if things are done properly.

In closing I'll repeat what I've said many times on here; end the war on drugs tomorrow, won't hurt my feelings a bit. Get it put on the ballot and I'll cast my vote accordingly. Until then many substances remain illegal. Involve yourself at your peril.

I suppose it is a matter of perspective. It was more a matter of extortion than force in the narrow sense. Either way, lack of a viable alternative was an issue.

 

[Bunnykid68]

This leads right into my primary objection to laws which automatically presume intent to sell/distribute without any actual evidence of such intent based on quantity. If I go to Sam's and buy cases of any given product that will last me a while, why can't a drug user? By this logic, I could be accused of intent to sell/distribute guns, toilet paper, bowl cleaner, baby wipes, and perhaps a few other things.

Because drug users do not think that way

 

[HoughMade]

I suppose it is a matter of perspective. It was more a matter of extortion than force in the narrow sense. Either way, lack of a viable alternative was an issue.

Here's a crazy "viable alternative"- don't do illegal things.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Here's a crazy "viable alternative"- don't do illegal things.

I take it that penalties fitting the crime are not an issue to you? Likewise with cowards in uniform who would rather extort others into taking risks that they are paid to deal with themselves?

 

[phylodog]

I suppose it is a matter of perspective. It was more a matter of extortion than force in the narrow sense. Either way, lack of a viable alternative was an issue.

There was a viable alternative. She willingly involved herself in illegal activity. Once caught she could have accepted her punishment. She chose to attempt to reduce that punishment, key word being chose.

 

[lucky4034]

I disagree, most people I know who smoke daily keep a pound or so for use. When they busted Tommy Chong he had at least that in his house.

College aged recreational users don't regularly buy 5-6 ounces of weed. Odds are she was probably dealing....

Sad story

 

[hornadylnl]

I don't get the distinction between dealing and possession enough for personal consumption. Is there a moral difference? Is there a dealer that only buys an ounce at a time to sell an ounce at a time? People don't seem hung up on only having enough for personal consumption but take issue with those who have enough to resell. So where exactly are recreational users supposed to get their weed?

 

[rambone]

"Forced" to participate? Never seen that done before. Offered an opportunity to cooperate? Sure, happens all the time.

In fairness, I used the words "recruit" and "coerced."

Blackmail also came to mind.

 

[lucky4034]

Is there a moral difference?

Not really....

 

[Bunnykid68]

I don't get the distinction between dealing and possession enough for personal consumption. Is there a moral difference? Is there a dealer that only buys an ounce at a time to sell an ounce at a time? People don't seem hung up on only having enough for personal consumption but take issue with those who have enough to resell. So where exactly are recreational users supposed to get their weed?

Not from me, I only keep 2-3 pounds on hand and that is just personal use

 

[rambone]

I don't get the distinction between dealing and possession enough for personal consumption. Is there a moral difference? Is there a dealer that only buys an ounce at a time to sell an ounce at a time? People don't seem hung up on only having enough for personal consumption but take issue with those who have enough to resell. So where exactly are recreational users supposed to get their weed?

There's no logical or moral distinction, only an arbitrary one, to fit with the arbitrary laws.