An ongoing police investigation involving an alleged armed robbery at the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity house Thursday night has resulted in a student’s suspension. The incident may be drug-related.

Washington University Police arrested a male suspect who was in possession of a felony amount of drugs, which were packaged in a manner to be distributed. Don Strom, University chief of police, declined to identity the suspect except to say he is not affiliated with the University.

Police also searched the room of the student room who claimed to have been the victim of the robbery. When asked if any drugs were found in the student’s room, Strom declined to comment on what, if anything, was found in the student’s room.

Since the investigation is on-going, Strom was able to give few specifics on the case at this time. What he was able to say was that a University student claims to have been robbed at gun-point in his room at the SAM house Thursday night around 9:30 p.m. As the suspect attempted to leave, a scuffle broke out between the student and the suspect that spilled into the SAM common area. Others in the house subdued the suspect and called University police.

Strom said that the suspect was charged Friday afternoon by the County Prosecutor for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. Another individual, who accompanied the suspect to the house, was also arrested, but was later released without charges.

The student claimed not to know the suspect, nor why the suspect was at the house. Strom said, however, that in the course of the investigation, police identified discrepancies in the student’s story. Strom said that because of those discrepancies, robbery charges have not been filed against the suspect. He declined to comment on whether any charges may be filed against the student, whom Strom also declined to identity.

Karen Davis, the University director of judicial programs, could not be reached for comment as to whether the University would take any disciplinary action against the student involved in this incident outside of the police investigation.

Junior Joshua Cohen, the president of SAM, did say that the student has been suspended by both the University and the fraternity pending the outcomes of the investigation. The student, whom Cohen declined to identify, is no longer living in the SAM house.

When asked if he knew whether the incident was drug-related, Cohen declined further comment. University officials have asked members of the fraternity not to discuss the incident.

Karin Johnes, director of Greek Life, would not elaborate any further on the specifics of the case beyond the information provided by police. She said that based on the short period of time she has had to gather information since Thursday night, she is still trying to sort through rumors herself.

She did say, however, that the Greek Life office considers this incident an individual problem.

“At this point the investigation is ongoing; however, it’s our point of view that this case involves a student who happened to live in a fraternity house,” said Johnes.

Johnes was also able to clear up some of the rumors that have been floating around campus. For one, there was not a drug raid on the entire house. Johnes said that the house was evacuated for a period of time for the purpose of preserving evidence and interviewing witnesses, but that the entire house was not searched.

Johnes also indicated that this was the first substantiated incident of drugs she has been aware of at the SAM house.

“Everything else I have heard has been typical rumors,” said Johnes.

Johnes said that off-duty Washington University police officers will provide a security detail at the SAM house until the incident is cleared up.

Strom indicated that more information on this case was likely not to be available until the middle of this week.

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