Columbia University is world-renowned for its excellent academics and for Ivy League-status. But after this week, Columbia will now also be known for the drug ring that was operating on its campus.
On Dec. 7, five students were arrested for selling drugs on campus, according to The Huffington Post. The students, all men, ranging in age from 20 to 22, were busted in a sting operation by undercover officers as part of an effort called “Operation Ivy League.” Found in the students rooms were bottles of LSD, marijuana, cocaine, Adderall, and ecstasy. Most of the drug deals took place in fraternity houses affiliated with the University. The operation was going on since since July and the undercover officers were able to purchase thousands of dollars worth of drugs from the men. They will be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court.
This isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last, that a drug ring has shown up on campus. Here are three other cases of college drug rings.
Only about a month ago, another drug ring was infiltrated, this time on Georgetown University’s campus. Two students, and one campus visitor were arrested for operating a drug lab in the freshman dorms, according to The Washington Post. The students were arrested for producing the hallucinogenic drug DMT, which police were told of because of a chemical odor that was reported to be coming from the student’s room. One of the students who was arrested had the charges dropped against him, and the two others were charged with conspiracy to manufacture, possess, and distribute DMT.
A drug ring that operated out of San Diego State University was busted back in 2008. The arrests of 100 people, many of them students at the University, came after a five-month sting operation, according to The New York Times. $100,000 worth of drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, prescription drugs, and marijuana, were found during a raid of one of three fraternity houses that the drug ring was operating out of. The police became involved when campus police found two students who died from overdoses had bought drugs from a campus ring.
Another college drug ring involved three University of Virginia football players. Barry Word, a third-round New Orleans Saints draft pick, and two of his former teammates were charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine, according to The Courier. Word eventually pleaded guilty to the charges and received five months in prison, and went on to play in the NFL.
These four cases show that college drug rings have been going on for a long time, as students are lured by the quick money. The thing they don’t think about at the time is how it will effect the rest of their lives. We can only guess what will happen to the five Columbia University Students. Only time will tell.
Sources
College, “Columbia Drug Bust: Five Arrested For Selling LSD, Pot, Cocaine” The Huffington Post
Paul Duggan, “IDs in Georgetown drug lab arrests” The Washington Post
Will Carless, “Dozens of Arrests in University Drug Sting” The New York Times
News, “Virginia officials will battle problem” The Courier
