Florida man named ‘Edward Cocaine’ threatens Subway restaurant employee with knife: Cops say that’s his real name

According to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office on social media, a man named Edward Cocaine was arrested after allegedly threatening Subway employees with a knife in Merritt Island, Florida. The incident occurred on April 5, 2025, at a Subway restaurant, and it’s not the first time a Florida man named Mr. Cocaine has had a run-in with the law.

According to recent reports, Cocaine became irate with the employees over their attitude. He went behind the counter, pushed an employee, and then pulled out a knife, raising it in a threatening manner. A friend who was with him attempted to restrain him, and they both left the store.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office post said, “Cocaine became so irate with the employees, that yelling at them from across the counter wasn’t enough!! Unable to control his whittle emotions he decided to let himself behind the counter where he began to physically push one of them and then made an even dumber decision by pulling out a knife!!”

The post added, “Yes folks, you read that correctly, he pulled out a knife and gestured as if he was going to injure them all because he didn’t like the way they spoke to him and his friend!!”

Cocaine’s friend intervened

A guy was arrested for pulling a knife on an employee in a Subway in the U.S.

The guys name….Edward Cocaine

He was really fun at parties in the 80's & 90's pic.twitter.com/vGMdCn2Mry

— Chuck @ 92.5 (@chuck925) April 14, 2025

The Brevard County Sheriff said Cocaine’s friend intervened, and they both left the restaurant. Cocaine and his friend were identified in surveillance footage, and when Florida authorities caught up with Cocaine, he admitted it was him in the video.

But the Brevard County Sheriff added, “his memory of the incident appeared to be a bit off from what Agents reviewed, he did acknowledge that pulling out a knife crossed the line of what is appropriate behavior!! I’d say that completely crossed the line and did dumb stuff that put others’ lives at risk!!”

Cocaine was later arrested on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, and faces charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary with assault or battery, and battery.

Now, we can’t confirm it’s the same guy — really, what are the odds? — but in 2014 a man with more than passing resemblance to Edward Cocaine who threatened a Subway employee, just about 10 years younger, was in trouble with Florida law.

According to NBC South Florida, Cocaine was charged with possession of Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety medication, without a valid prescription. The incident occurred in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and he appeared in Broward County court shortly thereafter.

During his court appearance, Judge John “Jay” Hurley expressed surprise upon hearing his name, prompting a brief exchange during which Cocaine confirmed that his surname is indeed legal and appears on his driver’s license. 

Cocaine told the judge that his great-grandparents immigrated from Greece in the 1920s and changed the family name at that time. The judge released him on his own recognizance.