A former housekeeping employee found with ammunition and 23 pounds of marijuana in his apartment in May was sentenced Thursday to three weekends behind bars and a year of probation.
A Maryland circuit court charged Leon Flythe, 29, with one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Flythe was arrested at his apartment in Suitland, Md. on May 4 after Prince George’s County Police officers uncovered more than $200,000 worth of marijuana, ammunition and $4,000.
Police also identified Flythe as a “known gang member” at the time of his arrest. He pled guilty to the drug possession charge in September, bypassing a trial.
The University hired Flythe as a housekeeper in 2008. He was placed on “unpaid leave” after his arrest, University spokeswoman Candace Smith said then. Following his sentencing Thursday, Smith said he was no longer employed by the University.
Flythe has been arrested four times for two second-degree assaults, marijuana, disorderly conduct and domestic violence, according to Maryland court records – all while employed by the University. But GW does not receive notifications of criminal incidents involving employees if they are outside of the University Police Department’s jurisdiction, and was unaware of Flythe’s criminal record, Smith said in May. Human Resources only conducts background checks during application processes or promotions.
She also declined then to say which buildings Flythe had access to, saying only that he was assigned to “office areas.”
After Flythe’s sentencing, Smith declined to comment as to whether the University was considering adjusting its background check for employees currently working for GW.
“We regularly review our hiring and selection procedures including the process for background screenings,” Smith said.
Georgetown University’s human resources office conducts background checks on employees if the school learns of “conduct that may pose a danger to others,” according to its website.
“In the event that the University has reason to believe that a University employee has engaged in criminal conduct,” Georgetown’s website reads, “the University reserves the right to require the employee to satisfactorily clear a background check as a condition of continued employment.”
