MS: Mississippi State Player Charged with Selling Marijuana

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by IndianaToker, Jan 25, 2005.

  1. [SIZE=-1px]Associated Press[/SIZE]
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    STARKVILLE, Miss. - A Mississippi State football player was suspended from the team Tuesday after he and two other men were charged with selling marijuana.

    Richard Burch, 21, of Brandon, was charged with sale of more than an ounce of marijuana after a raid on his apartment in Starkville Monday, said Sgt. Maurice Johnson of the Starkville Police Department.

    Johnson said police had been investigating the case since October.

    Also arrested were Michael Moment, 25, and Treasure F. McCornell, 21. Moment was charged with selling more than an ounce of marijuana. McCornell was charged with sale less than an ounce of marijuana.

    Burch and McCornell were released Monday night on bonds of $5,000 each. Moment was still being held in the Oktibbeha County Jail on a $5,000 bond on Tuesday.

    MSU Head Football Coach Sylvester Croom suspended Burch from the Bulldog football program on Tuesday for "violation of team and university policies," according to a statement released by the MSU Athletic Department.

    The 6-5, 315-pound Burch, a junior, started all 11 games for the Bulldogs at left offensive tackle in 2004. He has played in 30 games during his MSU career, earning 25 starts on the offensive line.

    No further comment on Burch's status is being made at the current time, MSU football officials said.

    Police seized a small bag of marijuana and $580 in cash as evidence, said Johnson. He said the arrests came from undercover drug buys that began in October.

    "We began an investigation back in the fall after receiving information that they were trafficking narcotics," Johnson said. "We believe all three were acting in conjunction with one another.

    "We had developed good intelligence that they were trafficking ... a pretty good amount of marijuana. An investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are possible," he said.

    Burch, Moment and McCornell are scheduled to make an initial appearance in Starkville Municipal Court on Feb. 14.

    Investigators do not believe any other member of the Bulldog football team was involved in selling illegal drugs and no other players are under investigation, Johnson said.

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    Story provided on cycle by the Starkville Daily News, http://www.starkviledailynews.com


    Link to article: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/10731141.htm
     

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