Two sets of arrests involving RPI students were made over the last week.
RPI student Shaun Clute and former RPI student Brett Juchem have been released on bail after being arrested last week for allegedly selling Ecstasy.
The two men were arrested by the Albany County Sheriff’s Department Drug Interdiction Unit after they allegedly sold the drug in powdered form on several area campuses, including Hudson Valley Community College, Russell Sage College, and the Emma Willard School, the Troy Record reported.
Interim Dean of Students Mark Smith said the Institute is looking into the drug problem. "There’s a push to close down the campus’s Ecstasy trade," he said.
"It’s not going to be tolerated," Smith said. He said the school will work "to assure no student is in jeopardy."
The two students will face criminal charges from the Tri-County Drug Interdiction Task Force. In addition, Clute will face consequences from RPI’s judicial process.
"There are jurisdictional issues," said Smith. "It was off campus, but it was an RPI student."
Smith emphasized that they would not turn a blind eye to the issue even though it was off campus. "We’re not skirting the issue," he said.
The second arrest occurred Sunday, when the Department of Public Safety and Troy Police arrested a student for a Colonie Apartment burglary.
"Another student knew that someone was out for the weekend," Smith said. The student called Public Safety to report suspicious activity in what was supposed to be an unoccupied room.
The student had one accomplice who escaped. However, Smith said the case will not be closed until all guilty parties are identified. "We’ll continue until we can close it out … all parties involved," he said.
