Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 11:12:41 -0500
From: leonf@perspicuity.net ("Leon")
Subject: FEAR: Fwd: ARO: Forfeiture of college dorm sought for drug dealing
To: fear-list@mapinc.org, fear-talk@mapinc.org
Reply-To: fear-talk@mapinc.org



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On 8/28/2002 at 11:39 AM Kevin B. Zeese <kevzeese@laser.net> wrote:

>Friends:

>

>Here's a bizarre attempted use of forfeiture laws that -- if successful 

>-- could escalate drug enforcement on colleges everywhere.

>

>Kevin

>

< http://www.boston.com/dailynews/239/region/N_H_police_chief_wants_dorm_fo:.shtml >
[if necessary cut and paste everything between < and > into your browser. Leon]

>

>N.H. police chief wants dorm forfeited under drug laws

>By Stephen Frothingham, Associated Press, 8/27/2002 16:27

>DOVER, N.H. (AP) Police arrested nine current and former McIntosh College

>students on drug charges Tuesday, as the city police chief said he was

>pushing federal prosecutors to seize a college dorm under fedeal drug

>forfeiture laws.

>''It is an open-air drug market like we've never seen in the city,'' Chief

>William Fenniman said of the dormitory at 181 Silver St., where most of the

>suspects lived. ''My idea is ... to stop the building from being used for

>illicit activity. Whatever it takes to do that, I'm willing to do.''

>The two-month undercover investigation by city police and the state

>Attorney

>General's Drug Task Force, dubbed ''Operation Home Cookin','' focused on

>students at the college's AtlanticCulinary Academy.

>The raid capped months of increasing tension between the town and the

>college. Fenniman said police have responded to nearly 200 calls in the

>past

>year at the culinary school and dormitory and made 30 to 35 arrests on

>drug,

>sexual assault and other charges. Another dozen or so current and former

>students have been arrested elsewhere on the campus or in the city, he

>said.

>Culinary students who saw the raid had mixed reactions. Amy Todd, 19, of

>Billerica, Mass., and Cecilia Self, 18, of Harrisville, N.H., said police

>used excessive force.

>They said reporters were present before the raid started and news

>photographers took pictures as students were thrown to the ground and

>arrested.

>''They had guns like in a movie,'' Todd said. ''I thought they were going

>to

>arrest all of us.''

>''Why do you need M-14s to arrest kids with weed?'' Self asked.

>The two said that some students smoke marijuana in their rooms, but there

>are few loud parties or hard drugs on campus.

>But another student, Scott O'Connor, told Foster's Daily Democrat he

>approved of the arrests. Drug use at the school ''makes me want to

>transfer,'' he said.

>College President David McGuire said campus security staff had given police

>some information that helped in the investigation. He said the college had

>already kicked some of the suspects out of the school or the dormitory and

>would discipline the others.

>''We fully support the action taken. It's part of an ongoing effort to

>enforce our zero-tolerance policy,''McGuire said.

>Fenniman denied school officials had given the police any useful

>information: ''In fact, they were unaware that this (investigation) was

>taking place.''

>He also blamed school administrators for admitting students on probation or

>parole for serious crimes in other states, under an interstate agreement.

>At

>least three of the suspects arrested Tuesday have past convictions for drug

>offenses, he said.

>''Based upon what we know is going on down there ... the college has to

>seriously entertain a change in their admissions policy,'' Fenniman said.

>''Because it appears in my opinion that all anybody needs to do is show up

>on the doorstep with a spatula in one hand and an application for federal

>aid in the other.''

>At a forum last week organized by a city councilor, McGuire told neighbors

>the college had about 10 students on probation or parole, but defended most

>of the students. He also said the college had increased security at the

>dorm

>and added residential supervisors.

>However, Fenniman said several months ago he was informed that campus

>security officers were being moved out of the Silver Street dorm. Foster's

>reported several weeks ago that campus security officers said they were

>spending much of their time in a new office on Rutland Street, playing

>video

>games.

>Fenniman said he has asked the U.S. attorney's office to use the federal

>crack house law to seize the Silver Street dormitory, the ''headquarters''

>of the drug trade. He said another meeting with federal prosecutors is

>scheduled for Thursday.

>Jean Weld, an assistant U.S. attorney who handles forfeiture claims, said

>to

>seize a building prosecutors must prove the building owner ignored drug

>activity. She would not comment specifically on McIntosh College.

>Fenniman admitted there would be ''legal hurdles'' to a forfeiture

>proceeding against the college. ''But we think we can get over them,'' he

>said.

>The police chief said most of the undercover drug buys took place in the

>dormitory parking lot or at a gas station next door, but one suspect was

>dealing openly in a park. Eleven of the undercover buys also took place in

>elementary school zones near Woodman Park School and St. Mary Academy,

>exposing those suspects to enhanced penalties if convicted, he said.

>Among those arrested:

>Eric Wilburn, 27, Rochester, N.Y., faces four charges of selling marijuana,

>three of them in a school zone, and one charge of marijuana possession.

>Corey Payne, 21, of Danvers, Mass., faces four charges of selling

>marijuana,

>Ecstasy, Valium and Zoloft. Three sales allegedly took place in a school

>zone.

>Andrew L. Kostieu, 19, of Hampstead, faces three counts of selling

>marijuana, one of them in a school zone.

>Carolyn Cockrell, 42, of Cincinnati, Ohio, faces one charge of selling

>marijuana in a school zone.

>Kemi Awomolo, 31, of West Africa, faces two charges of selling marijuana,

>one of them in a school zone.

>William T. Roberts, 42, of Rochester, N.Y., was charged with possession of

>marijuana with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute.

>Jared M. Perkins, 19, Hayburn, Idaho, was charged with possessing marijuana

>in a motor vehicle.

>Charles A. Poole, 19, of Hampstead, was charged with selling Ecstasy in a

>school zone. Poole is originally from Forest Hill, Md.

>Matthew S. White, 23, of Roanoke, Va., was charged with selling marijuana

>in

>a school zone.

>In an unrelated matter, Taras R. Lane, 34, was arrested on a probation

>violation out of Avondale, Ga., according to police. He has also been

>charged with resisting detention.

>

>.

>


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