Twenty-one people have been charged in an alleged drug ring involving multiple fraternities and students from major North Carolina universities, the Justice Department announced Thursday. The alleged drug ring brought more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana, several hundred pounds of cocaine and “significant amounts of other drugs” to college campuses over the course of several years, according to the DOJ.
The first person to be charged in the investigation was Francisco Javier Ochoa, identified by the DOJ as a “primary supplier” of the narcotics. Court documents allege that Ochoa supplied about 200 pounds of marijuana and 2 kilograms of cocaine per week to a cooperating defendant in Orange County, North Carolina. Ochoa pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 73 months in prison in November. He was also ordered to pay a $ 250,000 forfeiture.
Between July and December 2020, 20 other people were charged as part of the investigation, prosecutors said. Many of the defendants are identified as fraternity members or other students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and Appalachian State University.
They have been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and distributing a controlled substance within 300 meters of a public or private college or university.
In a statement announcing the allegations, the DOJ claimed that “the distribution of hard drugs was ubiquitous in and around certain fraternities.”
“No one is above the law, including students and fraternities at elite universities. This serious drug trafficking is destructive and reckless, and many lives have been destroyed,” said Matthew Martin, US attorney for North Carolina’s Middle District. “This research shows that the fraternity culture in these universities is dangerous. University administrators and national departments cannot condone the impact on these students and the environment on their respective college campuses.”
UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz told CBS News in a statement that the university is “extremely disappointed” to hear of the allegations.
“While none of the individuals named today are currently enrolled undergraduates, we will remain vigilant and continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and address any illegal drug use on our campus,” Guskiewicz said.
Appalachian State University said it is “cooperating fully” with the investigation. Duke University did not respond to a request for comment.
In addition to Ochoa, seven other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
“The amount of illegal narcotics being sold and used in this case was not only astonishing; it also reflected a very serious public health crisis,” said Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “We worked this case out in an effort to save lives.”