A freelance technician hired to cover President Obama’s appearance in Ottumwa yesterday wound up being booked by Ottumwa police.  

A 25-year-old man from Des Plaines, Illinois who was hired to be a “soundman” for the president’s visit was charged with prohibited acts and possession of drug paraphernalia. Ottumwa police say officers stationed at the Secret Service checkpoint outside the gym where Obama was to speak found a bag of marijuana in the man’s backpack.  Secret Service agents turned the man over to Ottumwa police. The arrest happened several hours before the event was to start. 

The man was a subcontractor, hired by a “local cameraman” who ABC News had hired to cover Obama’s speech in Ottumwa. An ABC spokesman issued a statement, saying while the network “did not hire this soundman directly,” the network regrets that the Secret Service and Ottumwa police “had to waste their valuable time dealing with this matter.”