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K2 Dealer Caught Slinging Synthetic Pot Near Union Square, Police say

By Noah Hurowitz | October 19, 2016 2:23pm
 K2, or synthetic marijuana, is a growing problem in the city, officials said.
K2, or synthetic marijuana, is a growing problem in the city, officials said.
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Creative Commons/Schorle

UNION SQUARE — A dealer was caught selling synthetic marijuana, or K2, on 14th Street near Sixth Avenue last week, the NYPD said.

Officers spotted 29-year-old Richard Fuqua making a sale at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 11 and arrested him on the spot, according to authorities.

After a search, Fuqua was found carrying 22 plastic baggies of K2 and a large amount of cash, police said.

► Related reading: What is K2? The Drug Behind a Mass Overdose in Brooklyn Explained

Prosecutors charged Fuqua with unlawful sale of synthetic marijuana and possession of the drug, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

A judge released him without bail, and he’s due back in court on Nov. 30, records show.

A lawyer for Fuqua did not respond to a request for comment.

Until last year the sale of K2 was a violation under an obscure portion of the state's public health law, but in an effort to combat the spread of K2, which can affect users with dangerous and unpredictable side affects, Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015 signed a bill that makes the sale of K2 a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and $5,000 in fines.