Williamsburg police arrest 10 people, including 8 William & Mary students and a professor, on narcotics charges
Williamsburg VA April 20 2018 Ten people — including eight College of William & Mary students and a professor — were arrested this week on narcotics distribution charges following a months-long investigation, Williamsburg police said.
Police said the operation, a joint investigation by Williamsburg authorities and the Tri-Rivers Drug Task Force, seized LSD, cocaine, psilocybin (mushrooms), opioids, amphetamines, steroids, hashish and marijuana. Roughly $14,000 in cash was also recovered, authorities said.
Williamsburg police Maj. Greg Riley said the drugs were being sold on or around the William & Mary campus.
“We have no indication that these individuals were working together,” Riley said.
The criminal investigation began after authorities were told that there were unreported sexual assaults occurring because of increased drug activity on or around the William & Mary campus, Williamsburg police said.
“We were told the assaults were occurring because of increased drug use,” Riley said.
Police looked into the drug activity, which led to this week’s arrests, he said.
Police identified the professor arrested as Gi Sang Yoon, 40, who is facing two felony marijuana distribution charges and one count of possessing hashish. The other nonstudent charged was Timothy Tyrone Pryor, 27 — an employee at William & Mary who is facing a felony marijuana distribution charge.
Yoon is a visiting biology professor and Pryor works in dining services, said Suzanne Seurattan, a William & Mary spokeswoman.
In addition to facing drug distribution charges, the eight students are facing charges of selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.
Police identified the students charged as Alexander Patrick Foley, 20; Biloliddin Tulamirza, 18; Daniel Jacob McBride, 20; Devin Moore, 20; Jacob Selmonosky, 18; Keegan Paugh, 22; Nicolas George Manuel, 22; and Shannon Cannaday, 20.
Riley could not provide where the students lived before attending the college. Seurattan said William & Mary has the following mailing addresses on file for the students: Foley, Bel Air, Md.; Tulamirza, Falls Church; McBride, Williamsburg; Moore, Springfield; Selmonosky, Falls Church; Paugh, Rapid City, S.D.; Manuel, Arlington; and Cannaday, Leesburg.
“The news of these arrests was both surprising and disappointing. We know the university is not immune to crimes that affect all of society but as an institution and a member of this community, we take the issue of drugs — and all matters of crime prevention and safety — seriously,” Seurattan said in an email. “When we learn about issues on our campus we investigate promptly, take legal action as necessary and provide resources to anyone in our community dealing with a drug use problem or addiction. It is an issue we must and will continue to focus on as a university.”
Seurattan said although it is university practice not to discuss personnel issues, she added that “I can tell you that any employee that is charged with a serious crime may be placed on administrative leave and trespassed from campus.”
The 10 people were arrested Tuesday in various locations in Williamsburg and James City County, Riley said.
“It was an all-day event,” Riley said. “[It] took quite some time to gather everybody.”
More arrests and charges are possible, police said.
Authorities are asking anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact the Williamsburg Police Department at (757) 220-2331.
The Tri-Rivers Task Force is a regional law enforcement drug task force with officers from the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office, the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office, the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office, the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, James City County police, Williamsburg police, Poquoson police, and the Virginia State Police.
“I would like to express my appreciation for the cooperation and communication of all of our community partners who assisted in providing information, insight, and assistance into this criminal investigation,” Williamsburg Police Chief Sean Dunn said in a statement.
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