Florida man spends 41 days in jail after deputy mistakes detergent for heroin

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (KTVI/CNN) -- Matt Crull, 29, spent 41 days in jail wrongly accused, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office. He was locked up over Christmas and New Year's. But he and 10 others are out now, and the deputy is fired.

Crull had a white powdery substance that was found in the driver's side door, wrapped in plastic with a hair tie around it. Crull says it was Tide laundry detergent. Deputy Steven O'Leary said it was heroin — a lot of heroin.

Crull was parked at a Jensen Beach KFC restaurant, asleep the van on Dec. 5. He admits he had taken a sip of a Budweiser that was in the cupholder.

First paramedics arrived, and then deputies, including O'Leary.

He was one of 11 people freed from jail because whatever drug O'Leary said it was turned out to be something legal.

All the charges for all 11 people have been dropped.