Pot Meatballs: Brilliant or Bad Idea Jeans?

A police officer in the NYPD's Joint Terrorism Task Force underwent random drug testing - only to find that he tested positive for marijuana. Twenty-two year vet Anthony Chiofalo was automatically suspended without pay but did not understand why he tested positive. And then his wife admitted she "spiked" the meatballs with pot to get him fired. From the Post:

During the departmental trial, the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau interviewed Cathy, who confessed to them that in the summer of 2005, she cooked up two separate pots of meatballs and laced them with weed so her husband would test positive and get booted from the force.

"I'm afraid he's going to get killed," a police source quoted Cathy as telling IAB investigators.

Cathy's justification for mixing marijuana with the ground beef was that she feared for her husband's life following the Sept. 11 attacks - particularly now that her husband worked for an elite unit that investigates terrorism.

She also told the department that she had expected the NYPD would force her husband to retire with his pension, not fire him, if he failed a drug test, the sources said.

Oh, dear. Chiofalo's firefighter brother and two former partners had been killed on September 11. Chiofalo said his wife Cathy, who substituted the oregano with pot, did smoke marijuana for back pain.

While the internal investigation found him not guilty (by reason of "involuntary ingestion") and said he should be reinstated, it's up to Police Commissioner Kelly to decide whether Chiofalo will get his job back.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on November 3, 2006 9:44 AM

Comments [rss]

Duh

And being high on the job isn't going to get him killed? Way to go, wifey.

Mike DeForrest

Do you really expect the general public to buy the "laced meatball" conspiracy? This Detective would obviously have "copped a buzz" from the pot. Why wouldn't he have informed the testing lab prior to giving the urine specimen. Marijuana is fat soluble and takes roughly 30 days of abstinence to clear from the body.

I'm not interested in ruining the career of this man but blaming it on his wife is a weak defense. He might as well say his wife was smoking a doobie when he walked into the room and inhaled second hand smoke!

Not Amused

I read this story yesterday. Seems to me the wife reeeeeeeallllyyyy wants the hubby to retire . I think she didn't plan her actions in detail. Good thing was that she amitted to spiking her hubby's meatballs so he shouldn't lose his pension .

Mario Batali

Hey can I get the recipe?

J

his wife Cathy, who substituted the oregano with pot, did smoke marijuana for back pain

Seems to have affected her judgement!

Meanwhile how'd he feel after eating the meatballs?

s

silly pig, trees are for kids!

ed_Extinct

#2 dump your cache and reset your browser. start over. all is well with gothamist.

sucks for this guy. grounds for divorce. no relationship communiation or trust and will he get his job back now that she has admitted to doing this.

ck_bk

that's just amazing!

First time I ever heard of someone passing off pot as oregano - usually it's the other way around.

TR

First of all, that totally sucks for that guy.

Second, why is the entire post (and the others behind it!) in a funny font? It hurts my eyes! Please remedy ASAP!