A Communication senior pleaded innocent to five felony drug charges Wednesday, six weeks after authorities intercepted a package that police said was filled with marijuana and was addressed to him at his fraternity house.
Scott Wheeler, 21, pleaded innocent to charges that he possessed and intended to distribute marijuana, and that he possessed cocaine and hallucinogenic mushrooms — drugs police said they found at his room at Phi Gamma Delta.
After the interception of the package — which had a return address from British Columbia, Canada — Evanston Police Department found cocaine and psilocin mushrooms in Wheeler’s room at Fiji, 2331 Sheridan Road.
Wheeler is scheduled to appear Dec. 4 at Circuit Court in Skokie. Before then, prosecutors must give all police reports to his lawyer, Bridget Hutchen.
Hutchen said the decision whether or not to proceed to trial will not be made until she receives the police reports.
Wheeler declined to comment for this story.
Wheeler faces a maximum of 21 years in prison. But the judge also could sentence him to probation for each charge, said Assistant State’s Attorney Mark Boumstein.
A Cook County grand jury indicted Wheeler Oct. 9 on five felony charges — three in connection with drug possession and two alleging intent to distribute marijuana.
Possession of marijuana, cocaine and psilocin are class 4 felonies and are each punishable by up to three years in prison.
Intention to distribute marijuana is a class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison. And intention to distribute marijuana on school property, at NU in Wheeler’s case, is a class 2 felony with a sentence of up to seven years.
Evanston police arrested Wheeler Sept. 3 and charged him with possession of marijuana and intent to distribute marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school. The subsequent search in his room at Fiji turned up more than one gram of cocaine and almost four grams of mushrooms, which lab tests later confirmed contained psilocin, police said.
On Aug. 14 U.S. Customs officials at O’Hare International Airport notified EPD about the intercepted package, which contained more than 90 grams of marijuana, said Sgt. James Elliot of EPD.
Wheeler, who has been suspended indefinitely by NU, remains one credit short of meeting graduation requirements.
