POSTED: Monday, December 1, 2012 --- 10:45 a.m.

From the Madison Police Department:

Incident Type
Robbery
Incident Date
11/30/2012 - 4:50 PM

Address
1500 Troy Dr.

Arrested
Jermaine T. Ruffin, age 39, Madison
Mr. Ruffin was arrested for attempted Strong-Armed Robbery, and Falsely Present Non-Controlled Substance.

Victim
Male, age 53, Madison

Details
It was a drug deal that did not pass the smell test. Friday afternoon, a 53-year old Madison man hooked-up on the north side with someone he believed to be a drug dealer, a person from whom he hoped to purchase crack cocaine. The victim drove him to a Troy Dr. apartment complex. He stayed in his car while the 39-year old went inside a building. He emerged with a baggie containing a white chunky substance. The victim, no stranger to the scent of the drug he sought, took a whiff, and his nose told him this was not crack, but some type of soap or deodorant. He grabbed back the $100 bill that he had just handed the would-be drug courier. The suspect responded by belting the purchaser in the head. The victim secured the hundred in his mouth as the two men proceeded to fight over the money outside of the car. During the struggle, the victim was yelling for help. A 35-year old woman heard his pleas and got between the combatants just as police arrived. The suspect told police he thought he had secured real drugs from inside the building. He would not say which apartment he visited, so police were unable to determine if the evidence collected was soap, deodorant, or possibly some type of cleaning product. The suspect was arrested for attempted strong-armed robbery and for falsely presenting a non-controlled substance.