FL Caterer, Bride Laced Wedding Food With Marijuana: Deputies

SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL —Some guests who attended a recent Florida wedding said they became"stoned" and "high" after eating dinner at the reception. Unbeknownst to them, quite a few were, indeed, hopped up on "Mary Jane," according to an affidavit filed by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

Now a Florida bride and caterer have been arrested, accused of serving a cannabis-laced meal to about 50 guests without their knowledge.

Joycelyn Bryant, the 31-year-old owner of the catering company, and Danya Svoboda, the 42-year-old bride, have been charged with Florida's anti-tampering act, delivery of marijuana and culpable negligence.

They were both arrested Monday and released later the same day on a more than $10,000 surety bond.

On Feb. 19 around 9:30 p.m., deputies said they responded to a clubhouse along the 400 block of Woodbridge Road in Seminole County where they learned several of the guests had possibly ingested marijuana from the food they had eaten at the wedding.

Deputies said they located the bride, Danya Svoboda, and groom, Andrew Svoboda, and asked them point-blank if they had agreed to or requested for any of the food at the reception to contain "cannabis products."

"Upon asking that question, Andrew Svoboda [the groom] stared at Deputy Donald Schwarzman with a blank expression for a few moments before stuttering through a 'no,'" the affidavit states.

Deputies said they collected several pieces of glassware and food items, which included lasagna, from the wedding reception and submitted them into evidence for testing. Some did test positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is a substance that's primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person's mental state.

At the scene, deputies said Seminole County Fire Rescue treated numerous guests at the reception for symptoms consistent with that of someone who had used illegal drugs.

One guest told deputies he was feeling "ill and high" and planned to take an Uber to the hospital.

On Feb. 20, Deputies interviewed other guests from the wedding, including the groom's uncle.

"He stated that he had drank about three glasses of white wine. He also ate two meatballs, the Caesar salad, tortellini and the bread with an olive oil and herb dip," the affidavit reads.

After eating, the groom's uncle said his heart started to race and he was having "crazy thoughts." He told deputies his wife, the groom's aunt, had a worse reaction and was transported to a nearby hospital where her urine tested positive for cannabis.

According to the affidavit, when he texted his nephew about what happened, he replied that he didn't know but would look into it.

Other guests interviewed by deputies described similar stories of feeling drugged and sick after eating their meals at the wedding reception.

One of the guests told deputies that she saw the caterer, Joycelyn Montrine Bryant, holding a large punch bowl with two hands and that she reached into the bowl and removed a green substance and placed it into small dishes. The guest said she could detect a strong odor of marijuana.

"She said she asked Joycelyn Montrinice Bryant if there was marijuana in the food and Joycelyn Montrinice Bryand giggled and shook her head 'yes,'" the affidavit states.

Bryant, the caterer, and the bride, Svoboda, were ultimately taken into custody.

Bryant's next court appearance is June 7, court records show. Svoboda is scheduled back in court on June 14.