If Representative Trey Radel completes the one year of probation he was ordered to serve as the penalty for purchasing cocaine from and undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent, he’ll have the charge expunged from his record. But he might not be able to shake the embarrassment that he overpaid for the 3.5 grams he bought outside a Dupont Circle restaurant during an October 29 sting.
Authorities honed in on Radel, a Florida Republican, when an ongoing investigation into cocaine trafficking in the Washington area led to information that a member of Congress was buying the narcotic for personal use and sometimes to share it with others, says the office of Ron Machen, the US attorney for the District of Columbia.
According to a statement of offense against Radel, he and a friend met with an undercover DEA agent on October 29. Radel and the friend had done cocaine several times together, according to court documents, and Radel invited the friend and the undercover cop back to his place for a few lines. The friend and the agent declined the invitation, at which point the agent said he had cocaine to sell.
Radel and the agent went back to the agent’s car, where Radel agreeded to pay $250 for 3.5 grams of cocaine. But he forked over $260, at which point federal agents showed up to bust him. The feds recovered their bait cocaine, as well as a vial Radel had been stashing in his apartment.
Court documents do not specify whether Radel forgot to ask for change, or if he was simply trying to tip the dealer.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Congressman Charged for Cocaine Purchase Overpaid During Bust
Representative Trey Radel was the target of a DEA sting.
If Representative Trey Radel completes the one year of probation he was ordered to serve as the penalty for purchasing cocaine from and undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent, he’ll have the charge expunged from his record. But he might not be able to shake the embarrassment that he overpaid for the 3.5 grams he bought outside a Dupont Circle restaurant during an October 29 sting.
Authorities honed in on Radel, a Florida Republican, when an ongoing investigation into cocaine trafficking in the Washington area led to information that a member of Congress was buying the narcotic for personal use and sometimes to share it with others, says the office of Ron Machen, the US attorney for the District of Columbia.
According to a statement of offense against Radel, he and a friend met with an undercover DEA agent on October 29. Radel and the friend had done cocaine several times together, according to court documents, and Radel invited the friend and the undercover cop back to his place for a few lines. The friend and the agent declined the invitation, at which point the agent said he had cocaine to sell.
Radel and the agent went back to the agent’s car, where Radel agreeded to pay $250 for 3.5 grams of cocaine. But he forked over $260, at which point federal agents showed up to bust him. The feds recovered their bait cocaine, as well as a vial Radel had been stashing in his apartment.
Court documents do not specify whether Radel forgot to ask for change, or if he was simply trying to tip the dealer.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
“Mean Mugging” at Ward 8 Candidate Forum Leads to Arrest
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
More from News & Politics
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This July
The Washington Nationals Just Fired the Manager and GM Who Led Them to a Championship. Why Has the Team Been so Bad Since?
FBI Building Now on Track to Leave DC After All, Whistleblower Leaks Texts Suggesting Justice Department Planned to Blow Off Federal Court Orders, and NPS Cuts Leave Assateague Island Without Lifeguards
Families of DC Air Disaster Victims Criticize Army’s Response, Trump Settles His Scores Via Tariff, and Police Dog Kicked at Dulles Returns to Work
This DC-Area Lawyer Wants More Americans Betting on Elections
Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers
Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor