Crime & Safety
Whipped Cream Canister Possession Leads to Felony Charge For Largo Man
William Swango was arrested after Largo Police found him inhaling the nitrous oxide-based product in his vehicle, where he had nearly a dozen cases of the cans stored.
A Largo man was arrested and charged with one felony and one misdemeanor after Largo Police found him inhaling and possessing nitrous oxide.
According to the police report, officers spotted William Edward Swango inside his vehicle at the Monterey Lakes apartment complex on Ulmerton Road on June 30th.
The vehicle was running and Swango was in the driver's seat with a whipped cream dispenser in his mouth, inhaling the contents, according to the report.
There was no whipped cream in the can, just the charger, which contains 8 grams of pure nitrous oxide (N20), a chemical that causes hallucinatory effects when inhaled or ingested.
According to the police report, Swango was inhaling the nitrous oxide for the purpose of intoxication.
After inspecting the vehicle, officers discovered seven unopened cases of the whipped cream, with each carton containing 24 chargers. They also noticed several opened or partially used cartons as well, containing 1,344 grams of N20.
Swango was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a felony charge of possession of harmful chemical substances for having more than 16 grams of nitrous oxide in his possession.
He was also charged with one count of inhaling harmful chemical substances, a misdemeanor.
Jail records show Swango was released on bond later the same evening.
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