Package Delivery at Briscoe Leads to Drug Arrest
BLOOMINGTON _ Indiana University police arrested an 18-year-old student on drug charges Thursday, after Briscoe Quad staff noticed that a package addressed to the student reeked of marijuana. Officers arrested freshman business student Brendan Alexander Matarese on felony charges of dealing marijuana and dealing hashish oil after discovering the package and its contents. A probable cause affidavit by IU Police Department Officer Amanda Harden detailed the investigation and Matarese’s arrest.
Authorities say they were led to the Indiana University residence hall on the night of August 17, 2018 after receiving a call from the Briscoe center desk about a suspicious smelling delivery in the mailroom. According to court documents, the package addressed to Matarese contained 30 individual THC oil cartridges and was addressed directly to his third-floor room in Briscoe. Once authorities arrived, Briscoe resident assistant Lauryn Johnson handed the package to Officer Harden who examined the exterior. Johnson declined to comment on the incident.
Shortly after police arrived, Matarese was asked by Briscoe staff to retrieve his mail. According to the probable cause affidavit, he picked up the delivery and began walking back to his room, at which point officers handcuffed Matarese and placed him in a patrol car. Police drove Matarese to the IUPD station to be interviewed by detectives, but they say he declined to answer any further questions upon arrival. In an effort to continue the investigation, authorities requested search warrants. Monroe County Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff approved requests to not only search the package but also Matarese’s Briscoe room.
After police found THC oil cartridges in the package, they say they discovered a safe near Matarese’s bed containing $750 in cash and three additional THC oil cartridges labeled, “Mile High Denver Club.” Across the room, authorities noticed a sheet of paper taped to Matarese’s wall with, “Trade Log $,” written at the top, indicating to investigators that the drugs were likely intended for resale. All of the items police noted in the report were collected and logged as evidence in the case.
IUPD Police Captain Craig Munroe says this is not the first incident of a student taking advantage of residence hall mail services to facilitate drug shipments. “Unfortunately, we have seen this before with students sending drugs directly to their dorm rooms. It happens every so often. Some of them get caught but it is hard to tell how many go undetected,” Munroe said. “We’ve seen marijuana and more recently, Xanax, being sent. The Xanax comes from all over but a good amount of the marijuana that gets intercepted in the mailrooms is sent from Colorado.”
After police took him into custody, Matarese was held at the Monroe County Jail for one night before paying a $1,000 surety and $500 cash bond. According to state criminal law code, the two Level 6 felonies that Matarese faces carry a possible sentence of six months to two and a half years in jail with up to $10,000 in fines. Matarese declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. An pretrial hearing for the case is scheduled to take place on Dec 17, 2018.