‘Operation Extra Olives’: Two Papa John’s Employees Caught Selling Cocaine In Pizza Boxes

GettyImages-150054599 — A man walks by a Papa Johns pizza restaurant on August 9, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Employees at a Papa John’s in Washington state have been accused of selling cocaine out of pizza boxes. The arrests are the result of a six-month investigation that detectives dubbed “Operation Extra Olives.”

Five suspects ranging in age from 18 to 26 were arrested in Sammamish, just east of Seattle, with two men arrested for the selling of the drugs. The two men allegedly stashed drugs in the restaurant's sinks, soap dispensers and cash register as they sold the drugs, according to detectives.

Detectives seized nearly $30,000 in cash, a vehicle and the drugs.

In December 2016, the sheriff's office said that Sammamish police received a tip that Papa John's employees were selling cocaine, according to a report by CNN. The two men sold drugs from the Papa John’s parking lot.

"What the detectives would do is they'd order pizza and go out and wait in the parking lot," said one detective. "The employee would bring the pizza out and in the box would be the cocaine."

According to local news station KIRO-7, the drug bust happened on Friday morning in the local Washington neighborhood.

Ann Michaelson, who lives across the street, was interviewed by KIRO-7, and said she woke up to the sound of a stun grenade. Then she heard a voice on a megaphone, telling the occupants to come out with their hands over their heads.

She said no one came out, but officers eventually went in.

“It was a big deal. It was all the time,” Michaelson said. “I feel really badly for all the young people that get caught up in that. My heart just aches for the families.”

Officers went to two other homes, both in Sammamish, where they arrested a 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old man. Another 18-year-old man turned himself into the Sammamish police station later in the day.

Papa John's customer Victoria Edwards told KIRO-7, “You don’t give it any thought, and you don’t think like – ‘is my pizza going to be covered in cocaine today?’”

She continued, saying that she would still continue to frequent the chain, but will be a bit more cautious.

“I’m going to take a bite, and make sure I don’t get any weird post-nasal drip, and I’ll let the kids have some,” she said.

Papa John's released a statement Friday night.

"Papa John's has zero tolerance for this type of offensive and illegal behavior. The franchisee has confirmed that the employees involved with this situation are no longer employed and we apologize for their actions. The franchisee is working in full cooperation with local law enforcement to resolve this matter. Furthermore, food safety and sanitation is of the utmost importance to Papa John's. The franchisee took immediate action steps, with Health Department oversight, and the location was cleared to reopen."