Pineville man arrested for selling illegal THC vapes, ‘gas station heroin’

PINEVILLE, La. (WNTZ) — A Pineville man, Troy Reese, was arrested last week after a multi-agency drug enforcement operation uncovered hundreds of illegal products, including suspected THC vapes and a dangerous substance known as “Gas Station Heroin,” at a local vape shop.

On April 16, an agent with the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) contacted the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit after finding hundreds of suspected THC vape products during a compliance check at Zaza’s Vape Shop in Pineville. The visit followed multiple anonymous complaints alleging that an employee was selling THC vapes to juveniles.

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RADE agents responded to the business and verified that the products were illegal and classified as Schedule I narcotics. Employees were detained outside the store while agents obtained and executed a narcotics search warrant.

During the search, authorities discovered approximately 300 THC-related items, including vape cartridges, THC butter, and marijuana. Additionally, they found 26 bottles of pills containing tianeptine — a substance commonly referred to as “Gas Station Heroin,” which is also classified as a Schedule I narcotic.

The employee on duty, identified as Troy Dale Reese, 45, of Pineville, was arrested at the scene. According to ATC agents, Reese had been selling the illicit products from the shop. He was transported to the Rapides Parish Detention Center and booked on the following charges:

• Possession of Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance (THC) with Intent to Distribute (over 2.5 pounds)
• Possession of Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance (Tianeptine) with Intent to Distribute
• Transactions Involving Proceeds from the Illegal Sales of Drugs

Reese was released the following day on an $11,000 bond. The investigation remains ongoing.

The RADE Unit is a multi-jurisdictional task force composed of officers and deputies from the Alexandria, Pineville, Ball, Boyce, Cheneyville, Forest Hill, Glenmora, Lecompte, McNary, and Woodworth police departments, as well as the Rapides and Grant Parish sheriff’s offices and district attorney’s offices. The unit continues to target narcotics trafficking in Central Louisiana.

Anyone with information about drug activity is encouraged to contact RADE through their Facebook page at facebook.com/RADEunit.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.