An undercover drug purchase and the search of an off-campus apartment has led to the arrest of two IU students.
John D. French and Paul Parkas were arrested in the apartment on Morton Street where both students live.
An undercover IU Police Department cadet made a purchase of marijuana from Parkas on Feb. 4.
During the undercover purchase, the cadet saw a large amount of marijuana and cash in a box in the apartment, IUPD Capt. Andy Stephenson said.
After the undercover purchase, a search warrant was issued the next day.
Plastic bags with cocaine residue, 3.5 pounds of marijuana, a plastic bag of Sour Patch Candy laced with Xanax, a digital scale, a metal grinder and more than $7,000 in cash were found in the apartment during the search, Stephenson said.
French has been charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor, according to a Monroe County Court probable cause affidavit.
The affidavit states French has been charged with a felony of dealing at least 28 grams of Alprazolam, otherwise known as Xanax, which is a schedule IV controlled substance.
He has also been charged with felonies of maintaining a common nuisance by using the apartment to keep, sell or deliver drugs and for possession of cocaine.
French was also charged with a misdemeanor for possession of paraphernalia in the form of the metal grinder, according to the affidavit.
Upon further investigation, French's felony charges were dropped, IUPD Detective Dave Hannum said.
The powder originally believed to be cocaine was actually Xanax, Hannum said, leading the charge of possession of cocaine to be dropped. Hannum also said after further investigation, it did not appear French was involved in drug dealing, leading to the dismissal of a second felony charge.
Under a new law, possession of Xanax under a certain weight is now a misdemeanor rather than a felony, Hannum said.
French currently faces two misdemeanor charges for possession of Xanax and possession of paraphernalia.
Sarah Gardner
