On Sunday, four students were arrested following a call to University Police about drug activity outside of Long Hall. After an investigation, Troy Lionell Green, freshman from Vidalia, was charged with distribution of marijuana; Kenneth Charles Temple, freshman from New Orleans, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana; Brandon David Arthur, freshman from Vidalia, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana; and Johnny Lee Cole, general studies sophomore from Thibodaux, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. These men were taken to the Lafourche Parish Detention Center where they are awaiting bonds.

The call to University Police came from a resident of Long Hall who allegedly witnessed a transaction between Green and Cole. Cole apparently dropped a small bag of the narcotic on the ground and both men left the area. The student calling in the complaint retrieved the zip-lock bag and turned the evidence over to University Police.

After consulting with the witnesses, the officers moved inside of Long Hall to go to the room of one of the men cited as a suspect. At this time Green, Temple and Arthur were found in Room 305 of Long Hall. The three men were told the reason for the officer’s visit, and they consented to a search of the room.

Sgt. Cathy Landry conducted the search and found a small amount of what was believed to be marijuana in a shoebox in Green’s closet. The narcotics were accompanied by $40 in cash. Above the closet, a ceiling tile appeared out of place and a Jennings 9 MM handgun box was found, containing only an empty magazine, according to the report. Located in Green’s desk were zip lock bags commonly used to package marijuana.

Arthur consented to a pat down, and Officer Raymond Ledet found three small clear bags containing what appeared to be marijuana. According to reports, Ledet asked Arthur if he had any more of the narcotic substance in his room. Arthur stated that he did in his Room 510 Long Hall and consented to a search of that room. Arthur advised officers as to where the additional drug supply was, and an additional eight small bags of marijuana were seized.

Officer V.M. Ehrman was then dispatched to La Maison Du Bayou to room 235 of Building 2. According to reports, Cole answered the door, and officers Ehrman and Landry stated their cause for being there. After first denying the possession of any drugs, Cole eventually voluntarily led Ehrman to his room and handed the officer a trumpet mouthpiece with the suspected narcotics in it. An additional three cellophane-constructed bags with the narcotic were confiscated from Cole. According to the report, what Cole handed over was not the total amount of the narcotics in the room. An additional trumpet mouthpiece and two cellophane constructed bags contained what appeared to be marijuana. Also found were two packs of Zig-Zag rolling papers.

Allegedly, Cole dropped the bag of narcotics that led to the arrests.

“All narcotics are logged into evidence and then sent to Baton Rouge,” Craig Jaccuzzo, chief of University Police, said. A lab will then correctly identify the substances as marijuana, and the narcotics will then be returned to University Police where it will be stored in an evidence locker until a trial is set and the narcotics can be used as evidence. After the hearing, the evidence will then be sent to the proper authorities for disposal.

As of now, University Police is not foreseeing any additional searches.

“We still respect the privacy of the students and their right to own personal property,” Jaccuzzo said, adding that all searches of student property were done through consent.

Currently, however, University Police officers are working with administrators in Student Life to deal with the situation and to prepare some educational materials and programs for students.

“We are also increasing our visible contact on campus as well,” he said. “We are here to keep people in school and out of trouble. Narcotic use will not be tolerated.”

Currently, the situation has been referred to the Judicial Affairs Officer Tommy Ponson for a hearing concerning the students and their future with the University. According to Judy Daniels, dean of student life, the general code allows for officials to look at the record of the student, the instance itself and any evidence brought forward. The hearing must take place within 72 hours of the incident and students involved are allowed full due process of the law before a committee decides what action if any should be taken.

“The dealing and use and the way it happened, it was done so openly and in public that students think they can get away with it,” Daniels said. “We will not tolerate an open invitation for others to do the same thing. This is a big deal, and we will prosecute to the full extent of the law.”

Although it is the job of University Police officers to make such arrests, Jaccuzzo stressed that this is not something they like to do.

“It hurts the whole community,” he said. “We do not want Nicholls to become known as a drug infested university based on this one incident.