Bret Hauser, arrested in suburban Boynton Beach late Thursday, was on the Fox reality cooking show in 2015 and is a contestant this year as well.

BOYNTON BEACH — A former Delray Beach chef — a former and current contestant on the "Hell's Kitchen" television show — has been arrested on drug charges in Palm Beach County, reports show.



Bret Eugene Hauser, 36, now of Fort Lauderdale, was booked early Friday at the county jail. He was charged with trafficking in synthetic products, possession of marijuana of less than 20 grams, and possession of drug equipment.

"I'm a cannabis user and everyone knows it. I am far from a drug trafficker," Hauser told The Palm Beach Post on Friday afternoon.

Court records show a judge Friday morning ordered Hauser be released on his own recognizance.

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According to the sheriff's office, deputies armed with a warrant at 10:25 p.m. Thursday searched a home in the Verona Lakes neighborhood, near Hypoluxo Road and State Road 7 in suburban Boynton Beach. The report doesn't say what prompted the warrant or why Hauser was there.



The report said a deputy found a gray backpack that contained a scale with marijuana residue; a plastic bag containing marijuana; two bags containing cookies later determined to be infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, marijuana's active ingredient; seven bags of packaged "nerd rope," each labeled as containing 125 milligrams of THC per serving; and six bags of "gummi bears" also labeled as containing 125 milligrams.



Also in the bag: "Chef Bret" business cards; a copy of the premier edition of the magazine Palm Beach Cannabis, which contained a feature on Hauser; a tire shop receipt; and a receipt at a pawn shop whose name was blacked out. The report said Hauser admitted he smokes marijuana and eats THC-infused candies and admitted the backpack and its contents belonged to him.

The report said the cookies and candy totaled more than 1,000 grams — a kilogram, or about 2.2 pounds — which upped the charge to a felony.

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The 21st Century Fox network, which airs "Hell's Kitchen," confirmed Friday that Hauser was in Season 14 in 2015 and placed 11th, and is in this season's competition between rookies and veterans. The next show is Dec. 7.

According to Hauser's personal web page, the "Hell's Kitchen" web and social media pages, and a fan page for the program, Hauser, then working in Delray Beach, had to drop out because of a back injury from the 2015 season.

The fan page said that after his 2015 appearance, Hauser was an executive chef at a Fort Lauderdale pizzeria, was a guest chef at multiple locations and most recently offered private chef experiences.

According to the story in Palm Beach Cannabis, a magazine devoted to legal uses of marijuana, Hauser specializes in cannabis-infused dishes and "wants to educate people on the benefits of cannabis remedies."

Staff researcher Melanie Mena contributed to this story.