When Is Teddy Bear Not a Teddy Bear? When It's a Drug Mule

Anthony Roderick Marcus will be sentenced Sept. 23 after he pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge. (Photo: Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office)

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So, there was this guy who walked into Superior Township’s St. Joseph Mercy last January with a teddy bear he’d swaddled – aw, how sweet – in a blanket. He gave it to a nurse and asked her to deliver it to his girlfriend’s mother.

Adorable, right?

Not so much, it turns out. That bear was a mule.

That’s the case Washtenaw County prosecutors made against Anthony Roderick Marcus, 18, of South Lyon, MLive/The Ann Arbor news reports.

The sweet boyfriend story began to unravel with the stuffing of the bear, according to court records.

The nurse who received it felt an odd lump, noticed the bear was leaking stuffing from its bottom and was suspicious enough to alert security officers,who discovered a small amount of heroin hidden in the cavity.

Marcus, who pleaded guilty to delivering a controlled substance in Washtenaw County Circuit Court Tuesday, told Judge Donald Shelton he delivered the stuffed toy, but denied concealing the drugs.

He will be sentenced under Michigan’s Holmes Youthful Trainee Act on Sept. 23. That law gives defendants the opportunity to clear their records by staying out of trouble once they complete the program.

Until then, Marcus remains in custody. His bond was revoked earlier this month when he showed up at a hearing under the influence of drugs, according to court records. The judge declined to hear arguments on reinstating Marcus’ bond.