Student arrested on 11 counts of drug charges

By: Allison Lex

Posted: 4/17/09

Derek Faulkner, 19, of Guilford, was arrested Tuesday night after a month-long UConn police investigation into narcotics trafficking on campus.

UConn police were issued a search and seizure warrant for Faulkner's room on the fourth floor of Belden Hall dormitory on Tuesday, according to an April 15 police department news release.

Police major Ronald Blicher said officers were searching Faulkner's room when he returned from class at about 8:30 p.m., when he was arrested on 11 drug charges, including operation of a drug factory.

In their search, UConn police seized 31 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, 27 grams of marijuana, a small amount of cocaine, six pills of Ritalin, 47 pills of Adderall, 10 pills of Ativan and one pill of Seroquel from Faulkner's room. Police also seized drug paraphernalia, including packaging material and digital scales, and $980 in cash.

"The varied amount of the narcotics located by the police was considered unusual … in the context of what we usually find," Blicher said.

Faulkner faces charges of operating a drug factory, possession of less than four ounces of marijuana, three counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school, as Belden Hall is within that distance from E.O. Smith High School.

He is also charged with possession of a narcotic substance, possession of a hallucinogenic substance, possession of a narcotic substance with intent to sell, possession of a hallucinogenic with intent to sell and possession of a restricted substance.

Faulkner was held on a $100,000 bond, which he posted sometime after midnight, according to Blicher. He has a court date of April 28 at Rockville Superior Court.