U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin told a news conference that those arrested were charged with drug trafficking on the campuses of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Duke University and Appalachian State University and the its surroundings. He said members of several brotherhoods were charged and that more arrests could come.
The investigation began in 2018, according to a U.S. Attorney’s press release for the middle district of North Carolina, and the first person was charged in November 2019. The rest were charged between July and December.
The investigation conducted by a working group of the U.S. Drug Control Administration and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office “revealed drug activity involving members of several fraternal drug organizations.” state universities, ”the press release said.
Court records specifically denounce illegal drug activities related to the UNC chapters of Phi Gamma Delta, Kappa Sigma, and Beta Theta Pi between 2017 and the spring of this year, according to U.S. law.
One of the 21 defendants was a Duke University student who allegedly distributed cocaine to fellow students and members of the UNC-Chapel Hill fraternity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Two students at Boone Appalachian State University were also charged with distributing drugs to other students, specifically LSD and cocaine, according to the press release.
Martin said that for several years, the suspects carried more than a thousand pounds of marijuana and hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and other drugs through their supply chain. Drug collection exceeded $ 1.5 million, according to the DEA.
“It’s about saving lives,” Martin told reporters Thursday. “It’s really a public health crisis. We really have to stay together, cut off supply.”
DEA Special Officer Robert Murphy said in the press release, “The drug trafficking offenses of these fraternity members contributed to a toxic and dangerous environment on these university campuses. ‘these drug traffickers make these university campuses and their respective communities safer.’
Speaking to CNN, the three universities said they were cooperating with law enforcement.
Michael Schoenfeld, Duke’s chief communications officer, said: “Duke will respond accordingly through our disciplinary process.”
UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz said the school was “extremely disappointed to learn of these alleged actions on our campus.”
A statement from the Appalachian state states that officials are “committed to providing a safe campus and will continue our work with education and prevention, as well as using student behavior and enforcement processes. law “.
Eight of the defendants have pleaded guilty to at least one charge, according to prosecutors. One, Francisco Javier Ochoa, 27, of Turlock, California, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges last month and was sentenced to 73 months in prison.
The national offices of the three UNC fraternities issued statements to CNN after the charges were announced on Thursday.
“It is shocking to learn of the allegations related to our chapter and others at the University of North Carolina,” the Phi Gamma Delta statement read. “These allegations are very serious, they suggest conduct that violates our policies and values and we have zero tolerance for alleged actions. We are committed to working with the police and the University to fully understand the involvement of our members.”
Beta Theta Pi said the charges involve one of its members graduating last year.
“The fraternity does not tolerate the possession, sale, distribution or use of illegal substances and maintains its chapters with high standards to maintain a safe environment for all students,” said Beta Theta Pi. “We are working in tandem with our university students, volunteers and UNC administrators to determine the next steps and we will take appropriate action as new information becomes available.”
Kappa Sigma’s national organization said its leadership is “very concerned” about the allegations and will investigate them internally.
The local chapter of the fraternity said two senior undergraduate members were among those arrested.
“The actions of these two people are not representative of the organization as a whole and are a violation of the code of conduct and the statutes of the chapters,” Kappa Sigma’s Alpha Mu chapter said in a statement. “Members were immediately officially suspended on November 3 pending expulsion. As an organization and as a leadership, we are doing everything in our power to assist in the investigation and are willing to cooperate fully with the authorities “.