HARRISBURG –Four Penn State University students are among seven charged today in a broad conspiracy to distribute mass quantities of marijuana throughout State College.
Attorney General Tom Corbett said the investigation focused on Penn State student Paul Spara and New York resident, Jason Remington. Spara and Remington are responsible for the distribution of more than 400 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $1.2 million.
Corbett said that the marijuana came from Canada into the United States through an Indian reservation.
Evidence and testimony regarding the case was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed today.
According to the grand jury, Spara received 10 to 50 pounds of marijuana from Remington on a weekly basis, and paid between $2,700 and $2,800 per pound, depending on whether he travelled to New York or had the marijuana delivered.
The marijuana was then allegedly resold for as much as $3,200 per pound, with increased profits if Spara sold it in lesser weights.
According to the grand jury, Spara supplied at least five individuals with marijuana, including current Penn State students; Michael Montgomery, Sanjay Deendyal and Evan Steikman, and former students, Evan Mossman and Michael Presogna.
Corbett said that Mossman, Montgomery and Deendyal were members of Penn State fraternities, who allegedly supplied fraternity brothers and other students with the marijuana they purchased from Spara.
The grand jury found that Mossman and Deendyal received weekly deliveries of ounce to pound size quantities of marijuana at each of their fraternity houses. The marijuana was then re-sold to other students in ounce and quarter pound quantities for as much as a $400 profit per pound.
“Being a college student does not make you immune from the consequences of drug trafficking,” Corbett said. “If you’re selling drugs – whether on a university campus or in any of our communities – we will find you and we will put you out of business.”
According to the grand jury, Spara used Presogna to collect money from college customers and used his residence on Orlando Avenue as a drop off point for the marijuana deliveries that were coming from New York.
Corbett thanked Centre County District Attorney Michael Madiera, the Penn State University Police Department, State College Police Department, Patton Township Police Department, Ferguson Township, Spring Township, and Bellefonte Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
The defendants will be prosecuted in Centre County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Patrick Leonard of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.
Below is a complete list of the defendants and the charges against them:
–Paul Spara, 23, Ruffs Dale, is charged with 13 counts of possession with the intent to deliver/delivery of marijuana, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of criminal use of a communications facility and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
–Jason Remington, 25, Saquoit, New York, is charged with four counts of possession with the intent to deliver/delivery of marijuana two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of criminal use of a communications facility, one count of driving under the influence and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
–Evan Mossman, 23, currently incarcerated in SCI Camp Hill, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of criminal use of a communications facility and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities. Mossman will be arrested on Wednesday, April 29, 2009.
–Sanjay Deendyal, 21, Yardley, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of criminal use of a communications facility and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Deendyal was arrested this morning and released on $100,000 unsecured bail.
–Michael Montgomery, 22, Wexford, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities. Montgomery was incarcerated in Centre County Correctional Facility on unrelated charges. He was arraigned and released to the custody of the Centre County Correctional Facility.
–Evan Stiekman, 22, Hamden, Connecticut, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of criminal use of a communications facility and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities. Stiekman was arrested this morning and released on $100,000 unsecured bail.
–Michael Presogna, 24, State College, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of criminal use of a communications facility. Presogna was arrested this morning and released on $100,000 bail.