Students charged with dealing, drug possession plead not guilty

577

Three DePauw students pled not guilty to a Putnam County judge last week on charges of possession and dealing marijuana. In August, two of them were found with possession of over a pound of marijuana by public safety officers.
Seniors Justin Mann, Alexander Chen and Colin Graham received the charges when Public Safety officers searched their W. Hannah St. duplex to find 1.17 pounds amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia after a fire alarm went off, according to an Aug. 19 police report.
A second trial appearance has not been scheduled for any of the students, but an attorney representing both Mann and Chen will return to the Putnam County courthouse on Nov. 16 for an attorney status conference and then again on Jan. 9 for a pretrial conference, according to a Putnam County Prosecutor secretary.
Graham's attorney, Jeffrey Boggess, will meet with a judge on Nov. 19 for a pretrial hearing.
Mann was charged with knowingly possessing marijuana in pure or adulterated form in amounts greater than 30 grams and dealing marijuana in amounts greater than 30 grams and less than 10 pounds, both Class D Felonies. He was also charged with possession of paraphernalia - a misdemeanor.
Chen was charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, dealing and possession of a controlled substance (dried mushrooms).
Graham was charged with possession of paraphernalia.
Meggan Johnston, director of Community Standards, said federal privacy laws prevent her from commenting on the community standards process for the students. She confirmed that Mann and Chen are not currently enrolled at DePauw.