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Updated: 12:23 PM Apr 10, 2008
Harrisonburg High School Investigation
Harrisonburg, Va. Some members of the Harrisonburg High School football team are accused of armed robbery and distributing prescription pain pills, and the police allege some of the coaches knew about it. Posted: 4:12 PM Apr 9, 2008Reporter: Kelly Creswell & Ed Reams |
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Some members of the Harrisonburg High School football team are accused of armed robbery and distributing prescription pain pills.
Information came out Wednesday afternoon concerning star players who are allegedly involved with the drugs, as well as allegations that the coaches knew what was going on but turned a blind eye to any illegal activity.
Investigators from the Harrisonburg Police Department signed search warrants to access records at the high school.
An affidavit filed with the clerk of court Wednesday alleges nine current memebrs of the school's football team, one former student, the team's head coach and two assistant coaches were involved in, or had knowledge of, the distribution of prescription pills in the school's locker room before games. Many of the pills are believed to have been Oxycontin.
Investigators say some of the football players may have also been involved in an armed robbery of rival high school students on Halloween 2007.
One of the students allegedly involved is the football team's star player. Ten other Harrisonburg High School students' names are also listed in the affidavit.
Police executed a search warrnant at the high school Wednesday morning and got all the documents they needed. Although no arrests have been made in this case, investigators want to know how many players and coaches knew about this alleged prescription drug distribution, but who also failed to tell police.
The biggest name on the list junior Alexander Owah, a star running back on the football team. Police talked to Owah more than once during this investigation.
According to the affidavit, on January 23, 2008, Owah admitted to being part of an armed robbery which included other Harrisonburg High School students Ronnell Brandon and Stedman Jones. Owah said he only helped plan the robbery.
On March 28, Owah was questioned again and investigators asked about his knowledge of Brandon dealing prescription pain pills before football games while in the locker room of Harrisonburg High School.
In the affadavit, Owah states he was aware that Brandon had been both selling and giving away pills since the 2006-2007 football season and that Brandon had told him the pills would make it so players would feel no pain during games, even from hits by other players.
Owah verbally committed to UVA in December.
The Harrisonburg City School Superintendent says since this matter deals with students and personnel, he cannot comment on the matter at this time.
Along with alleging that some of the coaches knew about the drugs, police also allege some of the assistant coaches may have known about the armed robbery. However, the coaches did not report it to the police.
In the affidavit released Wednesday, HPD Sgt. Christoper Rush, Harrisonburg Criminal Investigations Gang Unit, says it was "very apparent that there was an overwhelming amount of information and knowledge about the use and distribution of pain pills by football players of the Harrisonburg High School football team."
Rush also says that not only did the players know about this themselves, but several coaches also had this information and knowledge. In the affidavit, Rush talked with head football coach Tim Sarver.
He says, "Sarver stated he had heard of Ronnell Brandon selling drugs on one occasion and on another occasion received an anonymous note that his football players were selling drugs."
Sarver also says he approached Brandon about it in the spring of 2007, but that Brandon denied any involvement or knowledge.
In the affidavit, Rush goes on to say that "Sarver stated that even though he had received information about Ronnell Brandon selling drugs and received a follow-up anonymous letter about it, he never reported this information to police."
The affidavit also alleges that two assistant coaches, Jay Hook and David Long, had knowledge of some of these reports.
Rush says Hook told him he had no knowledge of of the drug dealing, but did know about the armed robbery, which he allegedly never told police about.
Rush adds Long said he had heard about the allegations and had questioned Brandon, but he "did not know where to draw the line between what was rumor and what was real."
Latest Comments
HHS COVERED THEIR "BACKS" AND CRUCIFIED MY SON, PARENTS I PLEAD WITH YOU GET YOUR KIDS OUT OF HHS.
What really kills me about all this is that kids down thru time have always experimented and done things that they needed guidance through. Sometimes kids make stupid decisions and stupid mistakes. Does that mean that we as adults should count them as a waste of time or just someone that needs a little guidance? It used to be, back in the golden age, that when a police officer found a kid drunk, he would take them home and have a talk with the kid and the parents and then the parents would do whatever it was that the parents did to keep their kid in line I realize prescription drugs are not alcohol, but today is a whole lot different than the old days- today, they throw the kids to the wolves (Chris Rush) and instead of having any type of talk, they are arrested, kept in the interrogation room for hours without being given a phone call. What happened to juvenile rights? Sometimes they really only need a little guidance. Sports is a good activity for any kids to become involved in.
I LOVE HHS, YAW NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH BEFORE U START HATING. HHS FOOTBALL ROCKS
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