Bird-Brained Scheme To Sink Needles Ends In Arrest

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — A 57-year-old New Port Richey man is in hot water after Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies dove into investigate just how he was disposing of biohazardous medical waste.

According to the agency, the man’s neighbors reported finding a container floating in the canal behind Bowline Bend last week. Inside that container, they found contents disturbing enough to prompt a call to the sheriff’s office.

“Deputies arrived and discovered the container had been perforated and weighted in an attempt to sink it to the bottom of the canal,” sheriff’s office spokesman Eddie Daniels Jr. said. Inside the plastic container, deputies found used needles, a pill bottle with a man’s name on it, insulin bottles and diabetic lancets, an arrest report stated.

The discovery of the first container, which had originally contained parakeet seed, prompted further investigation. Sheriff’s office divers decided to dive in and check out the canal. They ultimately found eight more similar containers, chockful of “biomedical/hazardous waste,” the arrest report said.

Deputies also learned that the man whose name was on the sunken pill bottle, happened to raise parakeets at home. When questioned about the unusual discoveries, the man “admitted (the) containers were his,” the arrest report stated.

Gary Parsh was brought into custody on felony littering, illegal dumping charges Tuesday. He was later released in lieu of $5,000 bond. Parsh’s arrest was announced Saturday.

Pasco County has a “Sharps” program in place to provide its residents a safe manner to dispose of needles, syringes, tubes and other medical wastes. The county estimates it has more than 14,000 insulin-dependent residents, according to its website. A total of nine medical facilities participate in the disposal program countywide, providing residents with red “Sharps” containers they can fill with used supplies and bring back to exchange for a new containers. The facilities that take part in the program ensure the medical waste is disposed of properly.

To find out more about the county’s Sharps Program, visit its webpage.

Booking photo courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Sign up for the New Port Richey Patch newsletter and alerts!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, too!