A forgetful rideshare passenger in San Francisco left a massive stash of meth behind in his cab — leading police to bust the absent-minded drug carrier, authorities said.
The suspect’s driver flagged down officers in the city’s Union Square neighborhood around 2 p.m. to flag the discovery in a backpack left inside the vehicle, according to SF Police Department.
Surprised officers assigned to the city’s notoriously crime-ridden Tenderloin area searched the pack and found a “large amount” of suspected methamphetamine, police said. It turned out to be 355 grams, or more than three-quarters of a pound, of the drug.
The meth had a stunning street value of roughly $26,625. A gram of methamphetamine goes for about $75 in San Francisco, according to the Department of Justice.
Quick-thinking cops then hatched a plan to work with the driver to arrange the return of the backpack to the passenger at a motel where the suspect was staying.
The cops showed up at the motel, arresting the suspect, 41-year-old Sacramento resident Jessie Ottman-Combs.
Officers then searched the suspect’s room, finding two cell phones, two tablets and drug paraphernalia, police said.
Ottman-Combs was booked in the San Francisco County Jail on the felony charges of drug possession and drug transportation or sales. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Thursday.
If convicted, Ottman-Combs faces up to two years in prison for the possession charge and up to nine years for the sales or transportation charge.
Police continue to investigate the alleged crime.
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