Lone Woman Cambridge Police Bust Leverett House

While many students were happily ensconced on their Spring vacations, Cambridge police swooped down on a Leverett House sophomore's room last Sunday night in the second drug bust by outside authorities ever carried out in a Harvard dormitory. The first occurred at Radcliffe last March 18.

Police charged the student with possession of marijuana, heroin, and LSD. If convicted, the student could receive a maximum prison sentence of 8 1/2 years.

The arrest stemmed from a search of the student's room on Friday afternoon, April 9, while he was away on vacation. The search warrant was reportedly signed by Judge Lawrence Feloney, the same judge who presided over the arraignment of the first student arrested on such a charge last March, Andrew M. Wilson '72.

Both Robert Tonis, chief of the University police, and James Reagan, chief of the Cambridge police, declined comment on where the information which led to the search and arrest came from. However, the arrested student pointed out that a painting crew was in his room on Friday, the day of the search, and raised the possibility of a tip-off originating from one of the painters.

Police allegedly found six capsules of heroin, four ounces of marijuana, an undetermined amount of LSD, and several mystery substances which Tonis said last night were "under careful analysis at the police laboratory."

Asked whether or not such an arrest, coming close on the heels of a similar action only three weeks ago, was indicative of a new policy by the Cambridge narcotics squad, Tonis replied: "I would like to emphasize that no new trends are implied by this; someone gave the police information and they reacted quite naturally."

However, since Wilson's arrest last March, many students have indicated that they felt the Cambridge police were engaging in a new "hard line" policy on drugs in Harvard dormitories.

The Leverett House student was released on his own recognizance late Sunday night in the presence of Dean Epps and a lawyer. Early Monday morning, Judge Feloney granted a continuance till April 28.