A Virginia Fraternity Brother Faces Drug Distribution Charges
April 27, 2018
A member of George Mason University's Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was arrested and charged with distributing the drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on Wednesday, April 25. He may also be facing additional criminal charges stemming from an incident in which a fellow fraternity brother jumped five stories to his death after taking the drug.
Evidence presented to a grand jury for consideration back in January showed that one 19-year-old Annandale, Virginia, brother gave the decedent, also 19, the drug three days before he jumped to his death from his dorm window this past September.
The family of the deceased Fredericksburg college student reportedly long-petitioned police and prosecutors both to pursue felony drug distribution charges and others against his fraternity brother who was believed to have given him the Schedule I drug. LSD joins other drugs such as heroin on this list. They've believed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to have no medicinal use and to be highly addictive.
For their part, the parents of the deceased brother note that unlike what the defense says, their son was not suicidal. They note that the only thing that could have propelled him to jump from his dorm window was the drug LSD, given to him by the defendant.
An attorney for the fraternity brother charged with the drug offense notes that his client has never been in trouble with the law before and is only alleged to have distributed the drug to the decedent one time. He notes that it's quite a stretch to assume that the drug continued to have effects on the dead brother's psyche days after he took it.
The attorney representing the fraternity brother in his criminal case has requested that a judge order a release of the decedent's mental health records to see if he had prior suicidal tendencies. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for May 21.
If you've been charged with a narcotics-related offense, then a Christiansburg attorney can advise you of your rights in your criminal matter.
Source: The Washington Post, "GMU fraternity member charged with distributing LSD to student who died in five-story plunge," Justin Jouvenal, April 25, 2018