A New Meaning To ‘Comic Book Dealer’
When they talk about drugs being a gateway to the harder stuff, I doubt this is what they had in mind. Of course, to a comics fan, it makes a certain sort of sense.
30-year-old Aaron Castro is the owner of roughly 19,000 comics, appraised at greater than $500,000, but he brings a new meaning to the phrase “comic book dealer”– he’s been arrested for dealing methamphetamine, and his collection will likely be in the control of the federal government.
Federal prosecutors currently have submitted a complaint trying to get ownership of Castro’s massive collection, that they can state was purchased with means procured by way of illegal substance income. However, he just didn’t just go down to the comic shop to pick up the sporadic edition of Superman. Based on one particular dealer named within the government submission, Castro had a serious monkey on his back.
“Gwinn [Castro’s underling] said that Aaron began to struggle with money because he would spend his drug money on comic books,” the complaint reads.”Gwinn would meet Aaron at comic book stores to give him the drug money and had seen Aaron buy a box of comic books.”
A second seller, who said he helped Castro organize his books, confirmed them to be purchased with “drug proceeds.” Castro goes on trial for narcotics distribution and weapons charges in May.
Does this prove Dr. Wertham was right? Did we get rid of the Comics Code too quickly?
Related articles
- Meth Dealer Faces Loss of His Comic Book Collection (yro.slashdot.org)
- Meth and Comics Don’t Mix (graphicpolicy.com)