Correction appended
Hanover Police arrested an undergraduate student for one count of acts prohibited for the possession of marijuana on May 5, according to a May 6 Hanover Police Department press release. Hanover Police intercepted a FedEx delivery that contained "over two pounds" of marijuana and that had been ordered by the student, Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
The student, Mbiyimoh Ghogomu '13, was arrested at Gile Hall, his residence on campus.
Ghogomu declined to comment for this article.
While Ghogomu has only been charged with a misdemeanor, the investigation is ongoing, and Ghogomu will "more than likely" be brought before a grand jury, Giaccone said. Marijuana possession "in the pounds range" is classified as a felony, he said.
According to New Hampshire Drug Law RSA 318-B:26, an individual who possesses marijuana in a quantity of one ounce or more but less than five pounds may be sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000 or both.
Police are currently aware of one previous shipment of marijuana to Ghogomu that occurred last month, Giaccone said.
"[That delivery] would have been more weight than the one we intercepted the other day," he said.
The amount of marijuana found in Ghogomu's possession is "greater than what would be considered personal use," which is typically measured in "small grams," Giaccone said.
"Considering the weights and the fact that there were multiple deliveries, there must have been other people involved," Giaccone said. "And if I were one of them, I'd be worried."
The intercepted delivery was addressed to a fictitious name at an off-campus apartment, according to Giaccone.
"The investigators had to do some work to figure out who the ultimate recipient of the package was going to be," Giaccone said in an email to The Dartmouth.
Ghogomu was a member of the Dartmouth men's basketball team until early March, according to head coach Paul Cormier. Ghogomu's departure from the program was a mutual parting of ways and was "strictly based" on basketball-related decisions, he said.
Cormier said he was unaware of Ghogomu's recent arrest until contacted by The Dartmouth.
"I have heard from other student-athletes that he was involved in some type of possession of an illegal substance, and if true that news saddens me a great deal," Cormier said.
Ghogomu, who is from Friendswood, Texas, was on probation in Harris County, Texas, at the time of his arrest last week, according to a pre-trial questionnaire obtained by The Dartmouth.
Ghogomu's probation officer, Pablo Villa, did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Ghogomu has been released on $2,500 bail and is scheduled to appear at the Lebanon District Court on June 6, according to the press release.
Staff writer Claire Groden contributed to the reporting of this article.
