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 federal 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 Atlantic Culinary 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.