In The News

Pilot pleads guilty to selling nationally marketed drug test drink

A commercial pilot has pleaded guilty to selling drink mixes online to help users beat federal drug tests.

Stephen Sharp, 41, of Port Orange, FL, sold a powdered drink mix nationwide that he claimed would hide traces of marijuana, cocaine and other controlled substances that truck drivers and pilots are regularly tested for.

Sharp pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Pittsburgh.

Sharp was charged in January with selling drug paraphernalia and conspiring to defraud the federal government of its workplace drug-testing programs. Sharp faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.

According to court documents, Sharp operated Sharp Labs Inc. and the website www.yourintheclear.com. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Western Pennsylvania.

The website openly claimed the product would mask drug use from federal urine tests mandated for pilots and truck drivers.

“ ‘Your (sic) In The Clear’ drug test drink mix helps with instant detoxification of your body while your body contains those harmful trace, marijuana, cocaine, etc. … Get the help you need to pass your drug test quickly and safely with no gimmicks! Keep a bottle with you wherever you go. … Cleansing begins in five minutes. … Pass Your Drug Test Guaranteed!”

The site featured a “DOT Drug Testing” section that listed specific cutoff levels for marijuana, cocaine, opiates and amphetamine evidence.

The operation was busted after undercover police officers purchased the drink formula.

Sharp worked as a pilot for PSA Airlines, Inc., which is owned by US Airways.

“Drug testing of employees in national security and public safety positions is overseen by the federal government to ensure the safety and security of the public,” Acting U.S. Attorney Robert Cessar said in a prepared statement. “The fact that Stephen Sharp is a pilot further underscores the importance of this type of prosecution.”

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