More than a month after police arrested a former student living in Alpha Chi Rho on felony and misdemeanor drug charges, Syracuse University’s director of fraternity and sorority affairs said in an interview the chapter has been exonerated and will not face sanctions.

“They genuinely were trying to help someone that they thought needed help,” Eddie Banks-Crosson said. “And it appears to us that young man took advantage of them.” 

On Sept. 26, Syracuse Police Department detectives executed a search warrant at AXP as the result of a “narcotics investigation.” Police said they found and seized 15.6 grams of marijuana, 4.23 ounces of cocaine and $5,560 in Patrick Jackson’s room at the fraternity. They then arrested and charged Jackson, 23, with two felonies, three misdemeanors and a violation.

The felony complaint against Jackson alleges that the two digital scales; clear zip-close bags and three cellphones recovered “clearly indicate the defendant was involved in the distribution of illegal narcotics in and around the Syracuse University campus.” The amount of cocaine recovered equals more than 1,000 individual doses, according to the complaint.

At Jackson’s arraignment the next day, he pled not guilty.

Banks-Crosson said that the current brothers of the fraternity felt indebted to their older members, who were friends with Jackson.

Whenever there’s an allegation of conduct violations, he said, the chapter is referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The decision was made about a week after the arrest, he said.

“The facts were laid out on the table and they were found not responsible,” Banks-Crosson said.

Published on November 5, 2013 at 1:13 am

Contact Dylan: dmsegelb@syr.edu | @dylan_segelbaum