US bride and caterer arrested for allegedly drugging guests with cannabis - BBC News

2022-07-10 06:13:28 By : Ms. Claire Wang

Police in Florida have arrested a bride and her caterer after finding they allegedly added cannabis to food that was later served to wedding guests.

The arrests came some two months after officials were called to the wedding to assist guests who said they felt as though they had been drugged.

Danya Svoboda and caterer Joycelyn Bryan face charges of tampering, negligence and delivery of marijuana.

Officials made the arrests after testing food and drinks from the party.

The wedding occurred on 19 February in the city of Longwood, in central Florida.

Responding deputies wrote in their incident report that several of the 50 guests present reported "feeling weird," after eating meatballs, Caesar salad, tortellini, and "bread with an olive oil and herb dip".

Guests were complaining of stomach pains and vomiting. Several were transported to hospital for treatment.

One guest told officers he "felt tingly, his heart started to race, and [he] was having crazy thoughts," according to a police affidavit.

Another guest thought her son-in-law had died and that her family was keeping information from her. She was taken to hospital where she became "loud and unruly and had to be given something to calm down," police say.

According to officials, Mrs Svoboda was asked by police at the scene whether she had allowed for drugs to be put into guests food, and denied it.

One guest, Miranda Cady, said she witnessed a member of the catering staff adding "a green substance" to a dish that would later contain olive oil.

"It should be noted what Miranda Cady was referring to what is commonly referred to as marijuana 'shake' which is the small scraps that fall off of larger amounts of marijuana," the affidavit states.

Ms Cady also claimed the bride admitted to adding to cannabis to the olive oil while the pair were on the dance floor.

The caterer and her staff had left the party before police could question them at the scene.

Police left after collecting glassware and food to be tested, including chocolate covered strawberries, pudding desserts, and lasagna.

Officials say that bread and lasagna later tested positive for THC, a psychoactive chemical in marijuana. Three guests also tested positive for the drug.

Mrs Svoboda and Ms Bryan were arrested on Monday. It is unclear if they have hired lawyers to represent them.

Medical cannabis is legal in Florida, but not the recreational use of the drug, unlike in some US states.

Soldier faces jail over feeding troops pot cupcakes

Thousands march to White House for abortion rights

The race gap between black and white homeowners

Sri Lanka president to resign after palace stormed

Sri Lanka crowd breaks Rajapaksa grip on power

The race gap between black and white homeowners

The lingering scars of South Africa's deadly riots

Who could be the next UK prime minister?

Americans in the crosshairs of China's spy game

Why Euro 2022 stars in small stadiums is a good thing

The Indian man making art from sunlight. Video The Indian man making art from sunlight

A welcome on two wheels for Ukrainian children. Video A welcome on two wheels for Ukrainian children

The incredible humans who've evolved to thrive underwater

The world's weirdest border?

How a railway blurred the line between Belgium and Germany

11 films to watch this July

The month’s most unmissable released include the return of Jordan Peele and Thor

Why modern dating is exhausting

Can online dating burnout be stopped?

© 2022 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.