Twenty-one people have been charged in an alleged drug circle involving several fraternities and students at North Carolina’s top universities, the Justice Department announced Thursday. The alleged drug ring carried more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana, several hundred kilograms of cocaine and “significant amounts of other drugs” on college campuses for several years, according to the DOJ.
The first defendant in the investigation was Francisco Javier Ochoa, whom the DOJ identified as the “main supplier” of the narcotics. Court documents allege that Ochoa supplied approximately 200 pounds of marijuana and 2 kilograms of cocaine a week to a defendant who was cooperating in Orange County, North Carolina. Ochoa pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced in November to 73 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay a $ 250,000 confiscation lawsuit.
Between July and December 2020, 20 more people were charged as part of the investigation, according to prosecutors. Many of the defendants are identified as members of the fraternity or other students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and Appalachian State University.
They face charges that include conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute marijuana and distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 meters of a public or private university, among others.
In a statement announcing the charges, the Justice Department stated that “the distribution of hard drugs was widespread in and around certain brotherhoods.”
“No one is above the law, including college students and fraternity members at elite universities. This serious drug trafficking is destructive and reckless, and many lives have been ruined,” said Matthew Martin, a lawyer. of the United States in the middle district of North Carolina. “This research reveals that the culture of fraternity in these universities is dangerous. University administrators and national chapters cannot turn a blind eye to the impact of these students and the environment on their respective university campuses.”
UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz told CBS News in a statement that the university is “extremely disappointed” to learn of the allegations.
“While none of the people named today are currently enrolled students, we will remain vigilant and continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and address any illegal drug use on our campus,” he said. dir Guskiewicz.
Appalachian State University said it is “fully cooperating” with the research. Duke University did not respond to any requests for comment.
In addition to Ochoa, seven other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
“The amount of narcotics sold and used in this case was not only staggering, but it also reflected a very serious public health crisis,” said Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood, the Sheriff of Orange County. Orange. “We have worked on this case in an effort to save lives.”