Three sophomores were arrested Nov. 22 after University Police Department officers discovered more than 11 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and ecstasy pills in their third-floor West End residence hall room.
The students – Rohan Sunder, Adam Drucker and Izzak Novak – have been charged with drug-related crimes and are due back in D.C. Superior Court Dec. 21. The students were arrested after UPD officers smelled a suspicious odor and conducted an administrative search of the room that yielded 11.1 grams of marijuana, brown pills that tested positive for ecstasy, a scale, five pipes, and a gravity bong, according to court documents.
All three appeared in court Nov. 23, where Drucker pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful possession of marijuana and ecstasy. Sunder pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and Novak pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful possession of marijuana, ecstasy and paraphernalia.
The administrative search resulted in the third set of arrests of GW students for marijuana-related crimes in the last two months. Five seniors were arrested in their off-campus apartment Oct. 30 and a sophomore student was arrested after UPD officers found 12 ounces of marijuana in his Fulbright residence hall room Nov. 11. Both on-campus arrests stemmed from reports of suspicious odors.
According to court documents, a housing staff member asked the students to reveal the source of their marijuana and they reported that a Mitchell Hall resident had provided the drugs. University Police Chief Dolores Stafford said UPD then searched the room of that individual and found drug paraphernalia that tested positive for marijuana residue. That case has been referred to Student Judicial Services, Stafford said.
The students will be placed in a drug program by the D.C. Pretrial Services Agency, according to D.C. Superior Court release documents. Stephen O. Russell, Novak’s attorney, declined to comment, and attorneys for the other two students did not return requests for comment.
