Four students arrested at Ross
Police confiscated marijuana, water bongs and a scale among other items from a Ross Hall room on Sept. 1, according to a Des Moines police report.
The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m., and four Drake students were arrested. Michael R. Glavan, 19; Elliott D. Mason, 20; and Brandon J. Ross, 20, were charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of schedule I drugs. Douglas K. Wissler, 19, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Initially, Drake Security was called after a resident assistant detected an odor of marijuana coming from the room. Police were then called to assist security with narcotics found in the room, according the report.
The report stated that police could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from the room. Security had just finished searching the room when police arrived.
The security officers divided the contraband that was discovered in each room, according to the report.
Police reported that they found medicine vials with marijuana and marijuana stems in them, pipes, glass jars with marijuana in them, grinders, a one-hitter, a marijuana vaporizer, water bongs and several containers and glassware with marijuana residue.
A mason jar full of a brown substance was also found, which Glavan told police was smoked marijuana from the vaporizer.
The substances were tested at the scene and were identified as marijuana, police said.
Police reported a small glass vial with a white powdery residue. Glavan told police he did not know what the residue was, according to the report.
A hookah pipe was confiscated, as well. Owning a hookah pipe is legal if a person is of age, but since Drake University’s campus is a smoke-free environment as per Iowa state law, students are not allowed to have them in a Drake University residence hall, even for storage purposes.
All four men were taken to the Polk County Jail.
According to court records, Wissler pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia on Sept. 2. He paid $522.50 in fines and court fees.
Mason posted $1,300 bond and is to appear in court on Sept. 12.
Ross posted $1,300 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 13. He was ordered to undergo a substance abuse evaluation.
Glavan posted $1,300 bond and is to appear in court on Oct. 13.
Possession of paraphernalia is a simple misdemeanor and is punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a minimum fine of $65 or a maximum fine of $625.
The penalties for possession of marijuana vary based upon the number of offenses a defendant has. The first offense is considered a serious misdemeanor and the maximum penalty is up to six months in jail or up to a $1,000 fine. A second offense is also considered a serious misdemeanor and is punishable by up to one year in jail, a minimum fine of $315 or a maximum fine of $1,875. Third offense possession of marijuana is an aggravated misdemeanor and the penalty is up to two years in jail, a minimum fine of $625 or a maximum fine of $6,250.
Marijuana isn’t a narcotic, but it it currently is a schedule 1 controlled substance like other narcotics. Narcotics are pain killers, like cocaine, morphine, etc.
Whatever happened to “Innocent until proven guilty”??
This comment is specifically for Kristen Smith, who seems to be lacking a few sensitivity chips.
I wonder, Kristen, if one of these students who was arrested happened to be a friend of yours, or someone you cared for, would you have even considered publishing this article? Did it even enter your mind that any of these students might be charged unjustly? Or that the police report was not even truthful? Now these young men (who had enough on their plates) have had your story and their pictures published on the cover of a newspaper for all of Drake University to read, which happens to be a very small community. Any one of these students could be innocent. Just being charged does not make one guilty. I feel you used VERY poor judgement printing this article.